What Urban Alchemy does

Urban Alchemy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in late 2018 by Dr. Lena Miller and Bayron Wilson, headquartered at 981 Howard St. in San Francisco. The organization delivers homeless services, community-based public safety, and urban revitalization programs across nine cities in six U.S. states (San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Culver City, Portland, Birmingham, Santa Fe, Denver, and Austin). Its service portfolio is organized under three pillars — Safe Communities (public safety through relationship-based civilian response), Housed Communities (pathways out of homelessness including interim housing, safe sleep villages, tiny homes, safe parking, and care coordination), and Connected Communities (street cleaning, mobile hygiene, climate stations, Oasis parks) — plus specialized programs such as HEART (San Francisco), CIRCLE (Los Angeles), and CARE (Denver) that respond to non-emergency 911 and 3-1-1 calls.

Urban Alchemy's defining operational feature is its Practitioners Model: 96% of the 1,300+ Practitioners are formerly incarcerated returning citizens, with over 80% identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. Workforce-level outcomes are part of the value proposition — a documented recidivism rate under 2% (versus a national average above 50%) and functionally zero homelessness among staff, against a backdrop where returning citizens are roughly 10 times more likely than the general population to experience homelessness. Third-party validation is anchored by a Stanford University Ethnography Lab study showing a 52% reduction in crime and 80% reduction in drug crime in ambassador-served areas of San Francisco, with a 72% reduction in calls for service reported at the Santa Fe shelter.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through government service contracts awarded by city and county agencies, supplemented by charitable donations to a 501(c)(3). 2024 total revenue was $84 million (Bloomberg), with recent contract wins including $24.2M for the San Francisco street ambassador program, $30M (three years) for the Denver Aspen shelter plus $3M for 3-1-1 call response, and $9.4M to operate Santa Fe's Agape House (formerly Pete's Place). Distribution is direct to municipalities through competitive RFP/RFQ procurement processes, with no consumer-facing product surface. The organization is also pursuing federal funding channels, most notably a $2 million Department of Justice grant for an East Austin neighborhood safety program.

Name

Urban Alchemy

Legal name

Urban Alchemy

Website

https://urban-alchemy.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urban Alchemy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers homeless services, interim housing, and community-based public safety programs across nine U.S. cities, employing 1,300+ Practitioners — 96% of whom are returning citizens — under direct contracts with municipal governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Community-Based Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Community-based public safety
• Interim housing solutions
• Reentry employment programs
• Street outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Service Contracts: Primary revenue source from service contracts with city and state governments for homeless services, street ambassador programs, shelter operations, and community-based public safety programs. Examples: $24.2M San Francisco grant, $30M Denver shelter contract, $9.4M Santa Fe contract, $2.4M Birmingham microshelter program.
2. Charitable Donations: Urban Alchemy raises money from charitable donations to help with expansion, administration, and other non-project-specific expenses. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
3. Donation Campaigns: Individual donations accepted through website with options for securities donations, wire/electric fund transfers, and goods/services donations. Case statement available for download.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit social enterprise that employs returning citizens (96% of staff are formerly incarcerated) as Practitioners to deliver homeless services, community-based public safety, interim housing, street cleaning, mobile hygiene, and crisis response to city governments under contract. The organization operates Safe Communities, Housed Communities, and Connected Communities initiatives across nine cities in six U.S. states, generating over $84 million in annual revenue primarily through municipal service contracts.

Product overview

Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit employment social enterprise that operates as a unified service platform delivering homeless assistance, community safety, and urban revitalization programs. The organization provides an integrated portfolio of services organized into three main pillars: Safe Communities (public safety through community-based response), Housed Communities (homelessness solutions including interim housing, care coordination, and emergency shelter), and Connected Communities (street cleaning and mobile hygiene). Key programs include the HEART (Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team) for crisis response, CIRCLE for 911/311 call response in Los Angeles, Climate Stations and Oasis Parks for community gathering spaces, and various interim housing options including tiny home villages, safe camping, and safe parking sites. The organization employs returning citizens (Practitioners) who leverage lived experience to provide trauma-informed services across nine cities in six states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Safe Communities Public safety initiative addressing concerns through relationship-building. Practitioners trained to provide immediate interventions that promote peace, de-escalate potentially dangerous situations, and maintain community safety in urban neighborhoods.
• Housed Communities Initiative dedicated to helping individuals exit homelessness through intake, referrals, and care coordination. Provides various interim housing options including tiny home villages, safe camping, and safe parking using a strengths-based approach.
• Connected Communities Street cleaning and hygiene services focusing on presence, relationship-building, and care in overlooked neighborhoods. Includes mobile hygiene stations and public restroom monitoring delivered by Practitioners serving as trusted community members.
• Community-Based Public Safety (HEART)

Quantifiable outcome

• Crime reduced by 52% and drug crime by 80% in San Francisco ambassador-served areas (Stanford study)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Huston-Tillotson UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Historically Black college in East Austin conducting statistical research for the UA neighborhood safety study, focusing on ZIP codes 78702, 78721, and 78723.
• Stanford University Ethnography LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2024Stanford University conducted a study on Urban Alchemy's Ambassadors program in San Francisco's Tenderloin, Mid-Market, and Civic Center neighborhoods. The study found crime reduced by 52% and drug crime by 80% in served areas. Dr. Forrest Stuart, Professor of Sociology at Stanford, led the research, analyzing all 40 intersections served by Urban Alchemy.
• Mid-Market FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the Community Based Safety Program that Urban Alchemy operates within, suggesting a funding/oversight partnership for San Francisco operations.
• Sunstone Way (Portland)minorOthersPortland-based nonprofit that previously operated Southwest Portland tiny home village before Urban Alchemy took over operations. Transition occurred after Sunstone Way was notified of UA takeover.
• City of Santa FecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity leaders turned to Urban Alchemy to address shelter challenges. UA replaced Interfaith Community Services at Pete's Place after the city declared previous operator's impact 'intolerable.' UA renamed facility Agape House.
• City of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver City Council approved Urban Alchemy to operate Aspen homeless shelter and answer 3-1-1 calls. Replaced The Salvation Army at the shelter. Department of Housing Stability will investigate any complaints.
• The Salvation Army (Denver)minorOthersPrevious operator of Aspen homeless shelter that Urban Alchemy replaced following Denver City Council decision.
• Interfaith Community Services (Santa Fe)minorOthersPrevious operator of Pete's Place shelter that Urban Alchemy replaced following city council vote. City declared previous operator's impact on neighborhood 'intolerable' due to rising overdoses and drug arrests.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit that employs formerly incarcerated individuals across social enterprises and provides reentry services. Most directly comparable to Urban Alchemy because both operate under the same 'transform returning citizens into community healers' thesis, although Homeboy is more social-enterprise focused and is not yet a government-contracted public safety operator at UA's scale.
• Chrysalis: California nonprofit focused on employment for people experiencing homelessness and reentry, with social enterprises (Chrysalis Catering, Thrift Stores) and workforce contracts. Comparable business model (employment-first) and client overlap (homelessness, reentry) make it a direct counterpart, though its service mix tilts more toward job training than public safety / street engagement.
• The Fortune Society: New York City nonprofit providing reentry support, housing, and workforce services to formerly incarcerated individuals. Operates supportive housing, alternatives-to-incarceration programs, and employer partnerships — highly analogous to Urban Alchemy's Housed Communities and Practitioners model, and a meaningful comparator on East Coast expansion.
• Rubicon Programs: Richmond, CA-based nonprofit (referenced in UA's own leadership bios as a prior employer of COO Bayron Wilson and board member Rob Hope). Operates reentry, housing, and workforce programs in the Bay Area, sharing much of the same homeless/reentry service population and Bay Area funding pool as Urban Alchemy.
• Lava Mae: San Francisco-based nonprofit delivering mobile showers and hygiene services to people experiencing homelessness, including in Oakland where UA also operates mobile hygiene. Highly analogous service offering on the 'mobile showers' product specifically, though narrower in scope.

Broad incumbents

• Glide Memorial Church / Glide Foundation: Long-established San Francisco nonprofit providing meals, housing, harm reduction, and reentry services to the city's unhoused population. Operates alongside Urban Alchemy in the Tenderloin/SoMa corridor (where UA's HEART and ambassador teams operate), and competes for overlapping city and foundation funding for homelessness services.
• The Salvation Army: National nonprofit operating emergency shelters and homelessness services across the U.S. UA literally replaced The Salvation Army as operator of the Aspen homeless shelter in Denver, making it the most directly comparable shelter-management incumbent that UA is actively displacing.
• St. Anthony's (San Francisco): San Francisco nonprofit providing meals, shelter, and supportive services to the homeless population. Operates similar feeding and shelter programs in the Tenderloin (overlapping with UA's footprints) but does not have UA's street-ambassador / public-safety layer or its reentry-employment engine at scale.

Regional players

• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth with housing, case management, and workforce programs. Comparable on the supportive-housing / case-management dimensions but focused exclusively on the 12-24 youth segment, where Urban Alchemy's work is age-agnostic.

Emerging players

• Community Based Public Safety Collective: Mission-aligned advocacy and convening organization co-founded by Urban Alchemy board member Aqeela Sherrills. Focused on promoting community ownership of public safety — the exact concept underpinning UA's HEART/CIRCLE programs — and shapes the policy environment and federal funding that Urban Alchemy taps into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/urbanalchemyua
• Xx.com/UrbanAlchemyUA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Alchemy