Question 1

What is TODCO?

Accepted Answer

TODCO (Tenants and Owners Development Corporation) is a nonprofit community-based affordable housing developer and civic advocacy organization rooted in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. Since 1971, TODCO has developed, owns, and operates affordable senior and SRO housing and provides resident services, community programs, and advocacy for housing justice.

Question 2

What does TODCO stand for?

Accepted Answer

TODCO stands for Tenants and Owners Development Corporation.

Question 3

Where does TODCO work?

Accepted Answer

TODCO’s work is focused primarily in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, where it has developed and operates affordable housing and engages in community planning, civic advocacy, and resident support services.

Question 4

What is TODCO’s mission?

Accepted Answer

TODCO’s mission as South of Market Neighborhood Builders is to assure that people living below the poverty line, the disadvantaged, and the working people of South of Market—elders, hotel residents, unhoused people, immigrants and families—will always be an integral part of their neighborhood’s future, always benefited rather than displaced by renewal, and able to meet basic needs, live in safety with dignity and equity, build social capital and wellness, and achieve their just aspirations for generations to come.

Question 5

How did TODCO start?

Accepted Answer

TODCO grew out of tenant and owner organizing in the 1960s and 1970s against the Yerba Buena Center Redevelopment Project in San Francisco. SoMa residents vowed "We won’t move" and pursued a federal lawsuit demanding decent relocation housing, which halted the project for several years. The City was ultimately required to provide replacement housing sites and financing, and TODCO was created as one of San Francisco’s first nonprofit community-based housing development corporations.

Question 6

How much housing has TODCO developed or preserved?

Accepted Answer

TODCO has built and redeveloped eight buildings in SoMa that now provide approximately 950 affordable homes for seniors, hotel tenants, people with disabilities, unhoused residents, and other lower-income San Franciscans.

Question 7

What is the Resident Services and Activities Program (RSAP)?

Accepted Answer

The Resident Services and Activities Program (RSAP) is TODCO’s supportive services and community life program, established in 1985. It began as a weekday senior lunch program and has expanded to include case management, crisis intervention, benefits and healthcare navigation, wellness checks, translated materials, nutrition programs, arts and recreational activities, trips, and community events for TODCO residents.

Question 8

Why does TODCO engage in advocacy and civic action?

Accepted Answer

TODCO engages in advocacy and civic action because planning and policy decisions strongly affect whether SoMa residents can remain in their neighborhood. From its founding, TODCO has combined housing development with community planning, coalition work, ballot measures, and legal action to ensure that renewal benefits existing communities rather than displacing them.

Question 9

What is Build Affordable Faster California (BAFCA)?

Accepted Answer

Build Affordable Faster California (BAFCA) is a local, regional, and statewide civic advocacy and action project of TODCO. BAFCA works with organizers, advocates, and policymakers on legislation and ballot measures to increase affordable housing production and protection, address wealth inequality, and strengthen the safety net that supports the health and economic well-being of Californians.

Question 10

How can residents get help or support from TODCO?

Accepted Answer

TODCO residents can access support through on-site staff and the Resident Services and Activities Program (RSAP), which provides case management, coordination with outside providers, crisis intervention, benefits assistance, nutrition programs, wellness checks, and community-building activities. Residents can also refer to building-specific contact information and TODCO’s resident resource materials.

Question 11

Where can I find TODCO’s public filings and financial information?

Accepted Answer

Public filings and financial information, such as IRS Form 990 filings, annual reports, and audited financial statements, can be found through TODCO’s transparency or documents page and reputable nonprofit databases. These resources provide details about TODCO’s governance, finances, and program work.

Question 12

How can I contact TODCO or request a media interview?

Accepted Answer

For general inquiries or resident-related questions, TODCO can be contacted through the contact information on its official website. For press and media inquiries, journalists and researchers can use TODCO’s designated press contact or media request form listed on the press and transparency page.

About FAQ

About TODCO: Frequently Asked Questions (Mission, History, Housing, RSAP, Advocacy)

What is TODCO?

Related Resources

What is TODCO?

What does TODCO stand for?

What is TODCO’s mission?

How did TODCO start?

Where does TODCO work?

What housing has TODCO built or preserved?

What is RSAP?

Why does TODCO do advocacy?

Where can I read TODCO’s full timeline?

How can I contact TODCO?