Still Here, Still Home: This mural’s message to SOMA still rings true, 30 years later

Rigo 23 restores the historic InnerCity Home Mural on SOMA's Sixth Street. 

Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
Date: September 30th, 2024
Contact: Cheyenne Concepcion
Phone: 626-224-1038
Email: cheyenne@todco.org | Director of Community Planning & Arts

Visual artist Rigo 23 and Diego Garcia Irizarry reminisce on the mural and its meaning for San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, and their own stories...

Finding Home on Sixth Street

San Francisco, CA — When artist Rigo 23 (then Rigo 94) first completed the InnerCity Home in 1994 SOMA’s Sixth Street was undergoing a redevelopment revival. Back then, the mural project was initiated by Capp Street Project’s “Art in the Urban Landscape” program and a 28-year-old Rigo 94 was connected with TODCO’s (Tenants and Owners Development Corporation) in-progress low-income housing development the Knox SRO at 241 6th St, San Francisco.

Following a series of community workshops with future Knox residents, many of whom experienced housing instability and homelessness, Rigo 94 used his signature large-scale graphic “sign” murals to call out the message most important to Knox residents that still rings true today: Sixth Street is HOME. 

30 Years on Sixth Street
Since the mural’s original debut in 1994, Sixth Street has undergone dramatic shifts. From the artist’s perspective, the population making Sixth Street home in 2024 needs more care than ever before. Today's Sixth Street was rebuilt with rooming houses and residential hotels following the 1906 Earthquake/Fire — also known as SROs, or single room occupancy hotels — that for many decades housed the working class. These days, Sixth Street is where the poor are warehoused and SOMA's working class origins are largely forgotten.

In 1994, the mural reflected a neighborhood where "home" was often a transient space, precariously held amidst an environment of shifting demographics. Gentrification and a drug epidemic has only intensified these pressures. Thirty years later, in 2024, InnerCity Home reminds us of the humanity of those who choose to call Sixth Street home. Today, the concept of ‘home’ continues to evolve, but the challenges around access to affordable housing remain. The restoration of InnerCity Home is a reminder of the ongoing struggle and resilience of this community.

(above: original sketches for mural produced in 1994, courtesy of the Artist)

Community Legacy
The original mural was the product of collaboration, with Knox SRO residents helping to shape its message. Today, the restoration serves as both a preservation of artistic history and a recommitment to community values. The mural’s arrow points forward, a reminder that home is not just a physical space but also an ideal—one that is rooted in the connection, dignity, and shared experiences of those who live here.

The restored InnerCity Home mural stands as a visual testament to the past, present, and future of San Francisco’s SOMA district. As the city continues to grapple with issues of housing affordability and displacement, the mural's message is as relevant as ever: home is a right, not a privilege, and a community's voice must always be heard in shaping its future.