A Tale Worth Retelling

"The proposal offers opportunity to the weakest link, who will unfortunately not contribute back for the greater good," wrote another protester. "This strand of weak links weaves through the city affecting hard working families."

An aide to Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, whose district encompasses the Arendt House site, spent hours talking with angry neighbors. Dariush Kayhan, the city Department of Human Services official charged with creating the elderly supportive living facility, was likewise deluged with calls. Neighbors met with Gonzalez, and Kayhan introduced residents to some formerly homeless seniors to show they weren't so bad. Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, who sponsored the measure to fund Zygmunt Arendt House, says city officials assured neighbors that the facility would not be used to house just any homeless people; it would provide homes only to elderly, and presumably less objectionable, poor.

In the end the story of Zygmunt Arendt, the feeble, rumpled immigrant who spent his days fretting about San Francisco's needy, then left millions to the poor, was powerful enough to overcome neighbors' appeals. City officials will now set about converting 850 Broderick, once a home to pregnant teens, into a dwelling for homeless seniors drawn from the city's shelters.

"This building, it's the right scale, it's in a great neighborhood, with great amenities, and an excellent community space," says Kayhan. "These things are critical for people who have experienced homelessness. You need to create community within supportive housing. This building was ideal for that."

That's a tale worth repeating until it becomes folklore.