To our community:

Eviction Defense Collaborative (EDC) is thrilled to announce that Gail Gilman has joined us as our new Executive Director, effective this week.

Gail is a seasoned, visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in housing, homelessness, and social-justice organizations throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area. Her career has been dedicated to advancing equity, collaboration, and accountability, always centering the needs of those most impacted by structural inequities—values that are deeply aligned with EDC’s mission to prevent eviction, displacement, and homelessness in our city. Gail steps into this role at a pivotal time for tenants and for San Francisco, and our Board is confident she is the right leader for this chapter.

Gail Gilman bio:

Gail’s work has long been rooted in San Francisco’s housing ecosystem. Early in her career, she managed direct service programs for the city’s unhoused residents. As CEO of Community Housing Partnership (now HomeRise), she led a complex, multi-service organization serving formerly homeless tenants, guiding the organization through periods of growth and change. More recently, at All Home, Gail advanced public policy, philanthropic investment, and regional strategies to disrupt cycles of poverty and homelessness across the Bay Area.

Throughout her roles as CEO, chief strategist, and advisor, Gail has demonstrated a strong commitment to building systems that work for people most affected by housing instability. She is known for her collaborative approach, her focus on equity, and her ability to lead organizations through complexity with intention and care.

Gail joins EDC with humility and a deep sense of responsibility. She understands that leadership here is grounded in trust—with staff, the Board, partners, and, most importantly, with tenants and community members. In her own words: “In my early months, I’m committed to listening, learning, and aligning: understanding what is working well, where we face challenges, and how we can collectively strengthen EDC’s impact while sustaining the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve.” Gail is excited and honored to build on the accomplishments of our prior leadership, preserving their legacies and moving EDC’s mission forward in impactful and meaningful ways.

The EDC Board looks forward to partnering with Gail to deepen our impact, strengthen outcomes for tenants, and sustain EDC’s role as a trusted partner for housing stability in San Francisco.