After Joseph was displaced from his housing situation by the upset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he secured affordable housing with TNDC in the Mission District. Today, he has found stability and a renewed sense of purpose in his teaching and music-making communities.
“I really appreciate TNDC for trying to help people have a better life,” he shared. “With the laundry room and the upstairs garden, it's just beautiful. All the beautiful things.”
The eldest child in his family, Joseph joined the workforce early to support them. He took on jobs that paid the bills but weren’t fulfilling. It wasn’t until later in life that he discovered his passion for education and earned his teaching credentials, becoming an expressive arts teacher at a preschool.
He reflects on how the importance of his job is often undervalued: “I really feel like people don’t understand what preschool teachers go through,” the 13-year educator said. “Before they were presidents, they went to preschool, and we are the ones who are getting their brains and bodies ready for the world. The first four to five years are very important, and I don't think people really understand that.”
A report from the National Education Association reveals that U.S. teachers are earning about 5% less than they did a decade ago after adjusting for inflation. In California, teacher dissatisfaction is higher than the national average, according to the Learning Policy Institute. In San Francisco, where housing costs are skyrocketing, teachers' unions are fighting for higher pay to address ongoing staffing shortages.
“I love children. I love teaching,” Joseph added.
“What I'm teaching right now is just great. I engage the students in puppetry and clay work to develop their capacity for problem-solving. We are teaching them how to solve their own problems with their teachers and with their playmates, and it's really great to see when they get it. I feel sad that teachers get paid the way they do, and we should get paid just like lawyers.”
Joseph finds joy in his music as a vocalist for a funk band called Stymie and the Pimp Jones Love Orchestra. While performing, his calm demeanor switches up to harmonize and match the energy of the accompanying soulful beats.
“We've been together for 28 years, and we've been all over this area,” he shared. “We all come out here to hang out and enjoy each other and watch each other. I have a community of teachers, a community of musicians, and we're all hanging out in this area because of the clubs. Bands support that type of thing.”
Joseph believes that being part of a community is all about feeling a sense of belonging and appreciating those around you.
“The lobby is full of the comings and goings of families with kids and dogs. I love that. I'm all about the community,” he said. “I’m thankful for this place.”
To listen to Stymie and the Pimp Jones Love Orchestra, visit https://youtu.be/Pa9bJo4xaAM?si=0zzNrm8dSyGjTJJH&t=59
Joseph's affordable housing community is a nine-story family-friendly building with all-around support, including diverse social services, ample outdoor courtyard spaces, and urban agriculture programming on the roof. With onsite social workers and property management from TNDC and a part-time resource officer from Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), tenants have a built-in support network to help them adjust to their new home, feel welcome, and remain stably housed.
In addition to these services, amenities include secured bicycle parking, an onsite childcare Unit, onsite laundry, and a large community room with a warming kitchen. The ground floor also includes 9,250 square feet of commercial space dedicated as a community-arts Production Distribution Repair (PDR) space.
