Announcing Our 2025 Affordable Housing Heroes

The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) was founded in 1948 and is one of the nation’s largest community foundations, dedicated to advancing racial equity and economic inclusion across the San Francisco Bay Area. For over 75 years, SFF has been a leading philanthropic voice, supporting social justice movements and uplifting underserved communities to ensure that everyone in the Bay Area has access to employment, safe and affordable housing, and a powerful political voice. In the face of recent federal funding cuts and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, SFF has continued to champion and fund critical local efforts, including EBHO, ensuring that vital community programs remain resilient.

Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez is a lifelong resident of District 2 and proudly represents the vibrant communities of Hayward, Newark, Union City, and Fremont. Throughout her two decades of public service, Supervisor Márquez has championed the creation of safer, more sustainable communities with affordable homes, solutions to homelessness, and a thriving, inclusive economy with good paying jobs. She continues to advocate for real solutions to our housing challenges at the county level, by working to expand options that lower costs, increase home ownership, and promote renter protections for low-income families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers.

Rev. Phil Lawson contributed to multiple social justice movements in the Bay Area and the nation over his long life. He was the originator of EBHO’s faith program (founded in 2004 as Interfaith Communities United, now Faith & Justice) and worked to involve faith communities in EBHO’s work of housing justice until retiring in 2011. He was a creative leader and mentor to many social justice organizers across the East Bay. We remain committed to continuing his legacy of organizing with faith communities for housing justice.

Ms. Francine Williams was a founding member of EBHO’s Resident Community Organizing Program (RCOP) and played a key role in the Broadway-Valdez campaign that got EBHO into direct resident organizing work. She was a devoted community advocate, faith leader, proud resident of affordable housing, and most recently sat on the board of Satellite Affordable Housing Associations. As President of the Valdez Plaza Resident Council, Ms. Francine was a passionate advocate for her fellow tenants. Her community radiated in everything she did—from organizing interfaith breakfasts in collaboration with Westlake Christian Homes to leading a weekly prayer group through her church.

Ms. Melody Parker was an EBHO member since graduating from our Leadership Academy in 2022. She went on to become a Resident United Network (RUN) Leader, a Resident and Community Organizing Program (RCOP) member, and even joined EBHO as a temporary employee during our Regional Suburban Organizing Program Campaign last year. Melody was a 3-time cancer survivor, an active member in Oakland’s Black Cultural Zone, and a good friend who knew how to make those around her laugh. She cared intensely for her unhoused neighbors and was dedicated to uplifting the Black community in Oakland through any way she could.