Delancey Street Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Delancey Street Foundation, often simply referred to as Delancey Street, is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco that provides residential rehabilitation services and vocational training for substance abusers and convicted criminals. It reintegrates its residents into mainstream society by operating various businesses - such as restaurants, catering and moving companies - all of which are wholly managed and run by the residents themselves. The foundation's methods have been widely praised and have been emulated internationally.
who was the subject of two books, a television movie and a segment of "60 Minutes." Silbert, a Boston-bred criminologist from UC Berkeley, began running the foundation in 1985.
Within a year of its founding, the Delancey Street community had grown to 100 members. By 2002, there were 500 residents in San Francisco, living in a self-contained group of 177 apartments. The complex was built between 1989 and 1990 by Delancey Street residents.
In 1993, the foundation bought the defunct Midtown Hilton hotel on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles
, and reopened it as Delancey Street Los Angeles.
In spring 2000, through San Francisco State University
, a cohort of Delancey Street students embarked on an innovative program, with several earning a BA in Urban Studies in 2004. Classes were taught on-site by university professors and community leaders.
There is a complete ban on alcohol, drugs and threatening behaviour by residents.
As of 2003, about half of the $15 million annual operating costs of the organization came from a variety of businesses it owned and operated. As of that year, more than 10,000 ex-cons and the homeless had been provided with housing, food, and a job at one of the many businesses the foundation operated.
History
John Maher and Mimi Silbert were the principal founders of Delancey Street in 1971. Maher (1940-1988) was a self-proclaimed "bum" and drug addict and former member of SynanonSynanon
The Synanon organization, initially a drug rehabilitation program, was founded by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich, Sr., in 1958, in Santa Monica, California, United States...
who was the subject of two books, a television movie and a segment of "60 Minutes." Silbert, a Boston-bred criminologist from UC Berkeley, began running the foundation in 1985.
Within a year of its founding, the Delancey Street community had grown to 100 members. By 2002, there were 500 residents in San Francisco, living in a self-contained group of 177 apartments. The complex was built between 1989 and 1990 by Delancey Street residents.
In 1993, the foundation bought the defunct Midtown Hilton hotel on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and reopened it as Delancey Street Los Angeles.
Programs
As of the early 1990s, the average Delancey Street resident has had 12 years of drug addiction, has been in prison four times, is functionally illiterate, unskilled and has never worked for more than six months. "People who have become involved with gangs, drugs, violence, crime . . . those are our favorite residents," Silbert said in 1993. In 2000, the BBC reported that “All of the staff are ex-offenders who, on average, have each been in prison four times and used drugs for more than ten years.”In spring 2000, through San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, a cohort of Delancey Street students embarked on an innovative program, with several earning a BA in Urban Studies in 2004. Classes were taught on-site by university professors and community leaders.
There is a complete ban on alcohol, drugs and threatening behaviour by residents.
As of 2003, about half of the $15 million annual operating costs of the organization came from a variety of businesses it owned and operated. As of that year, more than 10,000 ex-cons and the homeless had been provided with housing, food, and a job at one of the many businesses the foundation operated.
Sources
- Douglas P. Shuit, “Delancey Street Rehab Center to Open in L.A.”, Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1993
- Hampden-Turner, Charles, Sane Asylum, San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Books, ISBN 978-0913374283