Save Template House for the formerly incarcerated

Hi everyone, my name is Zarinah. I have been building life with our formerly incarcerated community for seven years now.

After four incredible years, endless BBQs and volunteer days, Template House is due to be sold in the coming months. Our benevolent owners who made this entire project possible, need to sell and we have a few months to save this community space and home for our formerly incarcerated community.

We are working hard on a transition, to buy the building and put this incredible building and home into a land trust that serves intentional communities and underserved populations in San Francisco, but I need your help to get this huge beast over the hill.

We have a potential lender, but we need to raise 400k very fast. This is a community fundraiser to help us get off the ground. Every tiny bit counts! All of our projects have been community fundraised by hundreds of you giving just a few dollars, and it has changed sooooo many lives.

For larger donations 10K +, if you know someone who is passionate about prison justice work, about community land trusts and preservation of community houses, or is looking to donate a chunk before the end of the year, please do put me in touch.

Want to read more details about this just transition?

You can read more in this document, which includes our budget, pro forma, some history on the building and the project, as well as details on the team overseeing this transition! If you would prefer to talk with me directly, you can schedule a call here.

What does this transition look like? What is the time line and where does the money go?

We have incorporated as a Community Land Trust 501(c)(3) called Collective Futures Project and we have an excellent board in place to ensure that this land trust serves the needs of long term affordable housing in the Bay. It takes multiple years for a land trust to be deemed eligible for property tax exemption. In the mean time we have the incredible support of an existing Community Land Trust who are working with us to helps us navigate this process as fast as possible.

What happens to my donation if the purchase fails?

We are confident about overseeing this purchase but in the case that for some reason we cannot go ahead (e.g. the seller decides not to sell, the due diligence on the building reveals issues etc), we remain committed to our vision, and will be using these donations for the same purpose on a different building. You donation will go towards securing the first purchase of a building in San Francisco, that serves the needs of our formerly incarcerated community, no matter what happens with Template House.

In the case that we don't raise enough donations to oversee this purchase, the funds will go towards a continued dedicated effort to build this vision of long term affordable housing for intentional communities serving our formerly incarcerated friends. If you have more questions, please feel free to ask!

Meet our housemates!

This is Eldridge

Eldridge was exonerated under changes to the felony murder rule in 2019, after almost three decades inside. He is a founding resident of this community and is now Assistant Director at Five Keys.

This is Bert

Bert was arrested as a child and tried as an adult. After serving 21 years on a life sentence was found suitable for parole in 2014. Bert helped found our first house and then moved to Template House to help this project succeed. Bert is a glazier and community activist! Hear them speaking about their experience at Template House here!

This is Ondra

Hear Ondra speaking about their experiences here.

Meet Joy!

Joy is a restorative facilitator, social researcher and healing-centered designer hailing from the Bronx, New York, living at Template for the last year :)

Meet Jeremy!

Meet Zarinah!

What will your donation achieve?

By donating to our cause, you are not only supporting our mission to protect self-determined community houses, but you are also actively participating in creating a brighter future for our community. Your contribution allows us to acquire and conserve critical lands, safeguard underserved communities, and the values of community houses such as kinship and cooperation. Together, we can ensure that the awe-inspiring community houses of the bay that we cherish remain intact, untouched by development, and accessible for everyone to enjoy.

Your contribution allows us to acquire and conserve critical lands for deeply underserved populations. When you give donations or loans to this project you are creating a permanent legacy and helping ensure a healthy future for intentional communities in California.

Donating here supports the creations of a community land trust for formerly incarcerated individuals and is a powerful way to contribute to the reintegration and rehabilitation of those who have served their time. By supporting this initiative, you are helping to break the cycle of recidivism and providing a crucial opportunity for individuals to rebuild their lives. The land trust empowers formerly incarcerated individuals by offering stable housing and a sense of belonging, fostering community connections that are essential for successful reintegration. Your donation not only aids in securing housing but also contributes to the broader goal of creating a supportive and inclusive community that values the dignity and potential of every individual, ultimately promoting a safer and more equitable society for all.