Community Engagement

BHNC roots are in community organizing – building power through collective action to advance shared interests, critical concerns and emerging issues. Through community engagement BHNC amplifies and supports the voices of diverse residents in and around Bernal Heights, primarily serving San Francisco Districts 9 and 11.

BHNC services target the needs of low-income communities, but our engagement is intentional, broad-based, and designed to engage and create allies throughout a diverse community. We join forces with businesses, peer organizations, advocacy groups, neighborhood coalitions, and language- or cultural-affinity organizations to promote health, justice, racial equity, and the needs of specific vulnerable populations. We engage city officials such as district supervisors, SFFD and SFPD, and city agencies.

Organizing strengthens all our work. When we organize, we achieve our aims.

Racial equity is an outcome that we hope to achieve through our collective work through affordable housing, organizing and service provision. An equity lens provides us with a perspective to learn and understand before we can resolve and execute a given task.

Organizing and Engagement in Many Formats

Community Events

BHNC’s Annual Community Congress, open to all interested clients, volunteers, board members and neighbors, is a day-long opportunity to listen, participate and join committees or task forces on emerging issues.

  • The Community Engagement Committee is active at events – Fiesta on the Hill, Hillwide Garage Sale – and is a standing committee from which task forces are considered.
  • The Fire Safety Task Force in collaboration with Supervisor Ronen’s office currently is working to address open fires in Bernal Heights and surrounding areas started in nearby homeless encampments.
  • BHNC built its signature Resident Outreach Leadership (ROL) and Safety Outreach Leaders (SOL) programs during pre-pandemic years at the affordable housing sites where BHNC provides onsite services. Community champions at each property addressed everything from tenant rights to bus stop shelter issues and more. Now that template serves as a model for broad engagement combined with training. Watch for similar leadership opportunities to come.

Join us. Send us your information on our contact us page for information on the next opportunities to engage with BHNC on current, local issues.

Covid-19 Response

Conduct periodic crisis need assessments at all 16 housing sites 

Partnered with coalitions who have identified the urgent need to support local day laborers and un-housed community members

Weekly preparation and distribution of groceries to 422 local households