About TODCO SF

TODCO SF: Affordable Housing, Advocacy, and Resident Services in San Francisco’s South of Market

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Civic action and planning rooted in SoMa

If you searched “TODCO SF,” you’re probably looking for a clear explanation of who TODCO is, what we do in San Francisco, and why our work is so deeply tied to the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood.

TODCO (Tenants and Owners Development Corporation) grew from a social movement of tenants and owners who joined forces to prevent displacement of people living below the poverty line and elderly residents in SoMa in the late 1960s and ’70s. Since 1971, TODCO has worked as a nonprofit, community-based community development corporation rooted in SoMa.

Today, we are an affordable housing developer with a 50-year track record of improving the lives of South of Market residents—and we continue to act as South of Market Neighborhood Builders, working alongside SoMa’s many communities toward a shared vision:

A Future for All Communities

Working together with South of Market’s many communities, our vision is to realize here at last: a just and inclusive neighborhood of opportunity.

A successful neighborhood is truly diverse—brought to life by people of all backgrounds and income levels. We understand that real community development requires not only building affordable housing, but also planning and advocacy that makes room for real diversity and advances social justice.

TODCO’s Mission

As South of Market Neighborhood Builders, it is the Mission of the TODCO Group to assure that people living below the poverty line, the disadvantaged, and the working people of South of Market—elders, hotel residents, homeless, 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 for housing, nutrition and economic security, ending deprivation.

  • To live in safety with dignity, respect and equity, ending isolation and exploitation.

  • To share community productivity to build social capital, institute wellness, expand common assets, and impact the future.

  • To achieve their just aspirations now and for generations to come.

This mission guides three interconnected areas of work:

  1. Affordable housing development and operations

  2. Supportive resident services and community life

  3. Civic action, community planning, and advocacy to ensure renewal benefits residents rather than displacing them

What TODCO Does: Housing + Community + Civic Action

In San Francisco, the forces that shape housing are not only economic—they’re also political, regulatory, and planning-driven. That is why TODCO’s founding story matters: our work began with residents organizing to demand dignity and enforceable protections.

Affordable Housing in SoMa: Development and Stewardship

TODCO has built, owns, and operates approximately 950 units of affordable senior and SRO housing for lower-income San Franciscans in eight SoMa residences. Our goal is not just to create affordable homes, but to sustain them for the long term—so people can remain rooted in the neighborhood.

Supportive Resident Services (RSAP): Helping People Stay Housed and Connected

Housing stability is about more than rent. Many residents benefit from support services, consistent community connection, and opportunities to participate in building life.

Shortly after opening our first building, TODCO established the Resident Services and Activities Program (RSAP) in 1985. RSAP began with a weekday lunch program provided by the Salvation Army Senior Meals Program to ensure a nutritious daily meal, and it gradually expanded over time with additional services, programs, and activities.

Today, TODCO offers a wide range of general and specialized programs, social services, and activities—including social, recreational, physical, cultural, health, nutrition, trips, cognitive health, and educational programs.

We also provide translation to accommodate our diverse resident population: materials and classes are translated into Chinese and Russian, and residents receive monthly newsletters with a calendar of events.

Each year, TODCO provides more than $1,000,000 in direct supportive social services, special events, trips, arts programs, and other activities—plus additional nutrition program in-kind aid to residents of almost $500,000.

Advocacy and Planning: Ensuring Renewal Benefits Residents

TODCO’s founders 50 years ago were “community activists” of their era, not “housing developers.” They understood then—as we understand now—that building a better SoMa requires strong and direct civic action, not simply building affordable housing.

TODCO has always incorporated civic action as a central and vital theme of our mission.

Learn More

To explore TODCO’s work in depth:

Last updated: 2025