San Francisco Department of Public Health Children's Environmental Health Promotion Program

Title: Tenant Displacement in San Francisco and Health Context: The Maternal Child Health Branch of the Department of Public Health is developing a five-year strategy plan to address issues that affect the health of children, youths, and their families. The Children Environmental Health Promotion Program, with its numerous contacts with families and years of experience of working to provide quality housing, can contribute unique perspectives and information on how housing issues may affect the health of families. The existing strategic plan has identified the lack of affordable quality housing as an issue affecting families, but details are still lacking on the contribution of displacement on the availability of affordable housing . Goal: To provide a description of the family displacement issue in San Francisco Objectives: By the end of the internship, Amanda Smith will have accomplished the following: Objectives Details 1. Produced a fact sheet about tenant displacement in San Francisco and the potential health effects on children and families. The fact sheet will contain at minimum the details as outline here. The content of the fact sheet should contain at least the following elements: • What is displacement? • What are its causes? • What are some of its potential health effects (physical, emotional, and social)? • How often does it occur in SF? How does the rate compare to other major cities? • Does if happen more frequently in certain neighborhoods or types of housing? • To whom does this happen? • What are some interventions that are being considered or implemented in SF and in the US? • Who are the players in SF? • Are there any laws regulating this? What? • Who are the key informants of this issue in SF? • A list of key stakeholders of this issue (specific contact info would be helpful if applicable) • Bibliography • Appendix (of interviews with key informants) 2. Conducted key informant interviews as a part of fact-gathering process and prepare a collection of stories, either in written, oral, or visual format. This collection will become an appendix of the fact sheet. 1. Identify and prepare a list of informants to interview. The list should include at least 2 people in each category of informants. Categories of informants include, at minimum, the following: • Displaced tenants • Not-yet displaced tenants in neighborhoods where displacements occur frequently • Property owners who have displaced/attempted displacements of • Tenants • Housing and tenant advocacy community-based agencies, including Rent Board • SF Property Owner Association • Health professionals 2. Design interview questions appropriate for each targeted category of participants. 3. Summarize interview results. 3. Delivered a Brown Bag 1 hour presentation of the topic to DPH employees. 1. Prepare presentation with the following details: • Objectives of presentation • Contents appropriate for a 40-minute presentation, including stakeholder stories 2. Design and conduct an evaluation of the presentation 3. Coordinate with PHD Brown Bag coordinator to do presentation Internship Learning Objectives: By the completion of this internship with the Children’s Environmental Health Promotion Program of the Health Department, the Intern will have: 1. Gained experience in conducting relevant literature research on a community health issue. 2. Gained experience in designing, conducting, and summarizing stakeholder interviews in the study and identification of a community health issue. 3. Gained experience in designing, giving, and evaluating a presentation on a community health issue. 4. Gained experience in preparing documentations on a community health issue.