On the streets of Chinatown and North Beach in San Francisco, tourists walk by shops and restaurants. But on top of these restaurants and shops and in-between alleys where few tourists venture are single room occupancy hotels (SROs) where families live. Families live in small 10x10 rooms and share a common bathroom and kitchen. Many seniors live in these spaces and are often easy targets of abuse and coercion, with limited access to resources and assistance.
In response to the rising needs of those living in SROs, the SRO Families United Collaborative was formed. The Collaborative is a multiracial, multilingual collaboration of five community based organizations that share the common goals of organizing and empowering families living in SRO hotels to defend their rights, improve conditions in their buildings, access services, and seek decent housing. The five groups include Chinatown Community Development Center, Chinese Progressive Association, Coalition on Homelessness, South of Market Community Action Network, and a community organization serving the Mission district. These groups receive support from the government, local foundations, corporations and individuals.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, San Francisco's densely populated Chinatown is the largest enclave outside of Asia. In the 2000 Census, 100,574 individuals live in Chinatown, or about two-thirds of the overall Chinese American population in San Francisco. The Chinatown area is about 1 mile long by 1.34 miles wide.
See also: Chinatown family life - what tourists don't see; SRO History in San Francisco
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