\u201cThey know kids by name. They\u2019ll give a kid a hug when they come out of the car,\u201d said Elaine Ellis, a social worker at Marshall Elementary. \u201cWe trust them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The abrupt layoffs are\u00a0 a U-turn for the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs<\/a>, which runs the ambassador program. City officials decided last year to end the program<\/a> as part of the city budget process, but the ambassadors had been told that they would stay on until their contracts expired<\/p>\n Two operational staffers and 14 ambassadors will be losing their jobs. Out of these, three had job agreements with the city until the end of 2026, nine that ended in 2027 and four until 2028.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mayor Daniel Lurie made promise<\/a>d in February to add more ambassadors (as well as more police foot patrols) in the area near 16th and Mission streets. When asked how laying off the area\u2019s current crew of ambassadors factored into promises to expand the program and if any new personnel or programs would be doing the work of the ambassadors who had been laid off, the mayor\u2019s office referred Mission Local to the city administrator\u2019s office for comment. A request sent to the city administrator\u2019s office was met with a formal statement from the city\u2019s Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs.<\/p>\n The statement did not answer any of the questions on the list, but did state that\u00a0 the city was\u201cworking with ambassadors on ensuring they are prepared for their next opportunity, including connecting them to potential employers.\u201d<\/p>\n It appears the city may be moving toward subcontracting ambassadors. In July 2025, Ahsing Solutions, a private firm, was contracted by the city<\/a> to do similar work around the 16th St Bart plazas. In December 2025, the city announced<\/a> a $21 million budget allocation to five nonprofits to hire \u201croaming ambassadors\u201d that would be deployed across more territory throughout the city. <\/p>\n \u201cI truly feel like it was a bait and switch,\u201d said one ambassador, who said that their layoff notice provided no explanation as to why they were being let go with months remaining on their contract. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve wasted the last couple of years because there\u2019s no way I can, with this job experience, find something equivalent that will pay me at least as much, if not more, or give me the same kind of benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n The ambassadors earn between $26.27 and $29.29 an hour (plus benefits).\u00a0<\/p>\n The union representing the ambassadors, SEIU 1021, confirmed the layoffs, and said the ambassadors they had been in contact with had not received any offers to be reassigned.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSEIU 1021 stands firmly opposed to the unethical and, in our view, illegal outsourcing of city work to private organizations that pay workers less to perform similar work,\u201d read a statement from the union, which added that the union had documented several other layoff and reassignment actions that violate employment law regarding contractors hired to work for the city.<\/p>\n SEIU 1021 is, the statement added, filing unfair labor practice charges with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).\u00a0<\/p>\n Currently, community ambassadors are divided into three teams: Mid Market\/Tenderloin, Bayview and the Mission. The Mission team was formed in 2014, began assisting Marshall Elementary in 2021. In August of 2025, community ambassador teams working in Chinatown, the Sunset and parts of District 5 ceased operations.<\/p>\n The program cost $2.03 million this fiscal year including salaries, benefits and equipment, said Jorge Rivas, the executive director of the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs.<\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7843-853x640.jpeg\")
On a recent rainy Monday, community ambassadors from the Mission team walked around 16th and Mission streets informing those in the rain of nearby services. Photo by Oscar Palma. <\/p>\n