A Lifelong Connection to Community
Camlo Looper grew up surrounded by the work of supportive housing. Raised in San Francisco as the youngest of four children, he watched his parents dedicate themselves to reentry programs, rehabilitation efforts, and neighborhood preservation. Those early experiences shaped his understanding of how communities could lift each other up when given the right tools.
Though his early career took him into real estate, resort development, and sales, he found himself drawn back to the values he was raised with. For more than a decade, Looper has worked with the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, better known as THC, where he now serves as Senior Associate Director of Property Management.
His role is more than administrative oversight. It’s about building trust with people who have often lived without stability for decades. It’s about designing systems that keep people in housing, not just getting them into it. And it’s about making sure THC can continue to expand access to supportive housing in San Francisco.
Building Housing Access with Purpose
The mission at THC is simple enough, keep people housed. But as Looper emphasizes, housing is not enough. For supportive housing to be effective, there has to be a comprehensive ecosystem of services in place, ranging from finance compliance to trauma informed care strategies.
Looper has been at the forefront of the THC’s work, having layered on many of those services, and he has approached that expansion from a pragmatic perspective. His philosophy is to try something new in a small way before implementing it at other properties. This allows the team to assess what really works, whether that is to key committees in building keys, use AirTags as security measures, or even slightly customize the staff engagement with residents who might have lived on the streets for decades.
The attention to detail ultimately supports THC’s goal of maintaining lower barriers to entry, all while offering spaces to find stability. Looper is keenly aware that when people come in after being on the street for long stretches, trust can be tenuous, and even in small ways—such as capturing someone’s name, or calling someone’s attention to a success—small recognitions help to chip away at barriers.
Leadership Grounded in Experience
With ten years at THC, Looper is clear about his strengths. He describes himself as tenacious, someone who enjoys challenges, and someone who uses the knowledge of long-time colleagues to navigate complex situations.
Rather than relying only on his own judgment, he values hearing different perspectives before moving forward. In a field where every case can carry unique circumstances, that openness ensures better outcomes for residents and for the organization as a whole.
Looper also sets a high bar for himself and his team. “Go one step farther than everyone else,” he says when asked how he maintains a positive reputation in his industry. That mindset drives THC’s willingness to look under every stone for solutions when a client is at risk of losing housing.
Balancing Trust and Structure
At the core of Looper’s work is trust. A large number of THC’s clients arrive at the organization with minimal, if any, trust of authority figures, and for some, it seems nearly impossible to make eye contact. Looper has discovered that starting small, such as greeting someone as they walk by, assists in developing trust slowly over time. He makes it a point to interact with clients outside of crisis intervention as well.
Along with trust, confidentiality and structure are equally important. Looper states that THC would not even recognize a person’s tenancy when communicating with non-THC employees, primarily out of respect for safety and privacy. He is always conscious of the way his words can be interpreted by both staff and colleagues, and even an innocent question could be seen as him ordering an action of some kind.
That self-awareness stems from a leadership style built around accountability. Feedback is always welcomed, and Looper always spends his time listening closely to others, asking follow-up questions, and arriving at solutions versus determining who is blamed.
Meeting Challenges in a Shifting Landscape
The supportive housing field is shaped by more than the needs of residents. It is also deeply tied to compliance and funding. Looper recognizes that THC’s ability to expand its reach relies on meeting strict standards set by both local and federal agencies.
Funding through city budgets and HUD programs requires detailed reporting, and compliance carries both legal and reputational weight. Looper sees this not as a burden but as a responsibility to taxpayers and to the broader housing movement. “The industry needs to be trusted by the tax base,” he notes, pointing out that public trust ultimately allows supportive housing initiatives to continue.
This careful balance between frontline support and administrative requirements is one of the ways Looper ensures THC can sustain its work for the long term. By keeping both elements in focus, he helps secure the resources needed to keep more people in stable housing.
A Measured Approach to Professional Reputation
Looper is quite clear about the risks associated with board chairs, and other positions of authority. Even if actions are warranted, the result of a miscommunication can result in damage to your reputation. His practice is to take the high path, remain dignified and professional, keep a record of all communications, and not use any quick form of communication, such as texting, as a way to communicate formally or with importance.
This disciplined practice is part of what he asks when he hires staff, how he interacts with employees, and even how he approaches complaints. By being fair and consistent, Looper lessens the possibility of a breakdown in trust because of misunderstandings.
He also is clear about reputations being developed over time, not as a result of one decision. How someone shows up in meetings, their attentiveness and follow through on 1:1s, or how they respond to challenging situations, all factor into a person’s long-term credibility. For him, reputation is not a personal corporate brand, but rather showing up in a way that shows a person how trustworthy you are, over a course of 10’s of years.
Camlo Looper’s Vision for Supportive Housing
When asked how he measures growth and success, Looper points to both the short and long term. He emphasizes the need to check in with oneself about satisfaction in a role, while also planning ahead for the future. For him, success is about doing meaningful work because he wants to, not because he has to.
At THC, that has meant building systems that support staff, reduce barriers for clients, and maintain the trust of funders. It has also meant making space for small but meaningful interactions with residents, recognizing that stability often grows from those moments.
For the community, his vision reflects a belief in practical steps, consistent effort, and accountability. Housing stability is not achieved through quick fixes. It is achieved by doing the work every day, refining approaches, and ensuring that both clients and the public see the value of supportive housing.
The Broader Impact of His Work
Looper’s leadership at THC comes at a time when housing remains one of the most pressing challenges in San Francisco. The city faces continued struggles with homelessness, affordability, and public health concerns tied to unstable housing.
By expanding access to supportive housing, THC addresses not only immediate shelter needs but also the underlying issues that contribute to chronic homelessness. Trauma-informed care, compliance with public funding, and trust-building with residents all form part of the approach that Looper has helped shape.
This kind of work does not attract headlines in the same way as development projects or political battles, but its impact is visible in the lives of individuals who gain stability. Each tenant who remains housed represents a step toward stronger communities and reduced strain on public systems.
Looking Ahead with Steady Commitment
Camlo Looper’s journey shows a return home. Looper has consistently devoted his career to housing stability, reflecting his upbringing in a family dedicated to community service and social justice, to his current role of leadership at THC. Looper’s leadership style, testing and implementing new approaches, building trust with clientele, compliance, and public trust. Has helped THC expand the reach of its important work in San Francisco. As supportive housing continues to evolve, Looper’s steadfast and patient manner reminds us that meaningful change does not happen from sweeping statements or approaches, but from small actions day after day. Each time Looper makes the decision to hold someone accountable to trust, an adjustment is made to the system for improvement, or a resident is acknowledged for progress, it’s building toward the bigger purpose of housing.
As we look to the future, that persistent work, made up of small daily actions, will be just as important, if not more, than any policy change or additional funding.
