Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts slashes staff and programs

The 47-year-old Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts has laid off the majority of its staff and will reduce its hours by 40 percent, according to the center’s executive director Martina Ayala. It’s a blow for one of the Mission’s oldest cultural institutions.

Ayala blamed the dramatic cutbacks on a delay in the disbursal of city funds and an unexpected $200,000 financial setback after late November flooding required extensive cleanup.  

“It wasn’t an easy decision. It wasn’t a light decision. It wasn’t even something that we expected,” said Ayala. “It was a hard decision that had to be made in order for us to continue to have a viable organization.”

Just before Christmas, Ayala laid off nine staffers, and another three had their hours cut. Three full-time staffers remain: Ayala, the RAICES Fellow, and the maintenance worker.

Ayala referred to her team as “the best,” and said the center tried to avoid the layoffs, but did not have the funds to keep employees on the payroll.

Roberto Sanchez, the treasurer of the board and president of Casa Sanchez, said the cultural center, one of the oldest in the city, is “at the mercy of whatever payment schedule the city has. And it’s always been like that.” 

Two former employees, who asked to remain anonymous, said the center let them go on Dec. 17, just eight days before Christmas.

“It was hard for me and, morally, pretty bad. I couldn’t smile [during the holidays] knowing that I didn’t have a job anymore,” said one.

The other former worker added: “I felt like we were a Christmas tree that people get in the beginning of Christmas, then they throw them right out of their doors in the streets as early as the third of January.” 

Ayala said the center had expected to receive the second portion of its $759,164 operational grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission at the end of November or in early December, but the $189,791  did not arrive until Dec. 11. Delays in disbursement, she said, are too common with the city. In September, the center received the first check of $379,582.

Coma Te, the director of communications for the arts commission, said after publication that any delays in funding were caused by the center needing to resolve compliance issues.

Earlier delays, she said, meant the center had already taken out four bridge loans. Once the city’s funds arrived, those loans had to be repaid. Ayala did not specify how much of the grant had been used to cover the center’s debt.

What did arrive on time were heavy rains across the city in late November that caused thousands of dollars in losses to local businesses and other organizations. The cultural center was hit particularly hard.  

Black water flooded the building and made its way between walls, crevices and floors, Ayala said. Initial estimations had projected an $80,000 bill, but, as of today, Ayala said, the tab is nearing $200,000.

“We had to extract, disinfect, dry, test for asbestos, demolish, clean,” said Ayala. “Now it’s being tested for any bacteria. We also had to throw a lot of items out that were costly to us.”

The San Francisco Arts Commission said it is responsible for all but $5,000 of the flooding repairs. Te, the spokesperson, said the city was in communication with the center after the flooding occurred.

Ayala said the center is going through a process of restructuring and reassessing, but she hopes it will have a full staff again once it’s collected donations. Another grant, she said, will arrive in March. 

Ayala said the center is currently brainstorming with its staff and board of directors. 

“I’m currently meeting with teachers to figure out how we can make this happen so that it doesn’t impact the community in a negative way,” said Ayala. “We do have to, as a community, come up with a solution.”

The building, which is owned by the city and leased by the MCCLA for $1 a year, is scheduled for major renovations. But those won’t begin for another year and a half and, in the meantime, the center needs to maintain the building for its programs. With the severity of black water in the building, it was necessary to act immediately, she said. 

The community’s response has been slow. A GoFundMe campaign, set up by board member Jackeline Rodriguez on Dec. 22, had raised only $300 out of a $45,000 goal as of Jan. 7.

Alongside the GoFundMe, Ayala said the center raised money through the holidays.
Ayala added after publication that the center raised $9,000 in donations, and received two grants totaling $6,000. The center reopens on Jan. 21 with dramatically reduced hours. 

She hopes they can raise as much as $250,000 to return the center to a normal schedule. 

Despite the cuts in staff, the center will keep offering its classes and hosting some events, but the hours will be reduced and appointments will be required.

“We are going to rely on community volunteers and paid interns from other agencies and universities,” said Ayala, adding that she hopes that in the future the center can have a $1 million safety net to avoid similar situations.

This article was updated after publication to reflect new information from Martina Ayala on the layoffs and the dispersal of funds.