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Two Projects to Provide Total of 137 Units for Economically Challenged
Some of the City's chronically homeless population will find themselves in affordable apartments by the end of this year, thanks to the development of a new eight-story apartment building rising at 149 Mason Street. Tenants will pay only $300 a month in rent for one of the City's subsidized 56-studio unit project being built by Nibbi Brothers for Glide Economic Development Corporation (GEDC).
"The 149 Mason Street project will work in collaboration with the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) to target chronic homeless individuals and weave an array of support services around them to create housing stability, health intervention, prevention, and recovery," according to GEDC, an independent non-profit development corporation started by the socially progressive Glide Memorial Church.
Valerie Adler, Assistant Project Manager for Nibbi, said that the union contractor had just a few ironworkers on the job in early February, tying rebar for the columns rising at the second level. She said that the project was designed for energy efficiency and will feature Energy Star appliance and other energy saving features, although it wasn't going after LEED certification as a green building.
The 149 Mason Street project neighbors another GEDC project at 125 Mason – a 14-story building offering 81 affordable one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments for low-income working families who have been able to achieve employment stability, but who still face economic challenges.
The 125 Mason project was funded by Millennium Partners, the developer of the Millennium Tower project nearing completion at 301 Mission Street. Developers either set aside a percentage of units as "below market rate" as part of their projects in San Francisco, or pay into a fund to build affordable housing offsite.
When completed, the two projects – with a total combined cost of more than $70 million – will provide 137 units of affordable rental housing for working families and homeless, along with supportive services such as counseling, rehabilitation referral services, job training and referral, after school programs, resources to assist the tenants, and commercial retail at the ground floor level.
At a ceremonial Groundbreaking in 2007, Rev. Cecil Williams, Chair of GEDC's Board of Directors and CEO and Minister of Glide's National and International Ministries of Glide Memorial Church, said, "Step by step, we're realizing our vision of creating a healthy and vibrant neighborhood in the Tenderloin. More than just affordable homes, these new buildings will provide a safe community for our working families and our homeless neighbors."
The nonprofit developer, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), is also a partner in the 125 Mason project. The San Francisco Planning Department and the Mayor's Office of Housing approved the projects and the latter provided a bridge loan to GEDC to acquire one of the lots.
GEDC says the two buildings are also, "designed to foster a sense of community" and will feature landscaped courtyards, a secure sun-filled outdoor play area for children, and community lounge areas with outdoor decks. The site at 125 and 149 Mason was formerly a vacant lot.
Glide developed its first permanent supportive housing project, the Cecil Williams Glide Community House at 333 Taylor, in 1998.
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