Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
San Francisco Examiner - October 12, 2000
Marsha Ginsburg
And nearby is a school and park, as well as grocery shopping.
The cost: $300 a month.
That's what some lucky person, along with dozens of other families in San Francisco, will score in 16 months when 93 units of affordable housing are completed in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood.
Wednesday's groundbreaking of the Church Street Apartments on 1 Church St. was to be followed Thursday by the ribbon-cutting marking the beginning of rehabilitation of a burned-out building on Ellis Street that will house 25 homeless or AIDS afflicted youth.
The Church Street Apartments will include 31 one-bedroom units, 34 two-bedroom units and 28 three-bedroom units and be available to families and individuals earning less than 60 percent of the area median income, or roughly $20,000 to $45,000 a year, depending on the size of the family. Rents will range from $300 a month for a one-bedroom to $1,200 for a three-bedroom, a bargain by almost anyone's standards.
The units will include new appliances, including dishwashers and refrigerators, as well as mini-blinds and new carpeting. Some in the two- and three-story complex will undoubtedly have nice views of The City.
The Bridge Housing Corporation, which specializes in affordable housing, says it plans to reach out to all of The City's neighborhoods and expects thousands of applications. The target date for completion is February 2002.
"It's wonderful to be able to produce the housing," said Bridge Housing President Carol Galante, "but we know it's just a small part of what needs to be done."
Galante said that following income and credit verification, applicants who complete their paperwork first would likely qualify for the apartments.
"We haven't been able to find any other fair way to do it," she said.
Although there will be no criteria for balancing the ages, gender or ethnic base of the residents, Galante pointed out that "almost all of our properties are incredibly diverse."
A spokesman for Mayor Willie Brown said the units are planned for a "fantastic location" that would otherwise clearly be profitable for private developers.
Spokesman P.J. Johnston said the project is proof that residents are "bearing the fruits" of Proposition A, passed in 1996 by San Francisco voters to create $100 million in affordable housing.
In addition, the Mayor's Office of Housing kicked in $1.4 million for 25 studio apartments at 864 Ellis St. that has been vacant since a fire in October 1997. The apartments are being designed for homeless youths and other young adults. Six units will be set aside for homeless young adults with HIV or AIDS.
The ground floor will be designed for social services to help youth get a new start in life. Those qualifying will not have annual incomes exceeding $18,000, said Johnston.
The developer, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, is planning to finish the project by next September.
While the two projects add just over 100 units to a rental market being swallowed up by a booming economy, Galante said it's a long way from solving the housing crisis.
"It's wonderful to be able to produce the housing, but we know it's just a small part of what needs to be done," she said.
Johnston said the projects show that The City is addressing the problem, despite criticism that the mayor has been slow to react to the crisis.
"You do a little bit in the Tenderloin and the little in the Duboce Triangle and a little more in the Excelsior, and you replicate the process over and over throughout The City and you're able to address the needs of a whole lot of people," said Johnson. "Does it solve the crisis, which is Bay Area wide? No, but it doesn't mean you don't do your best to help as many as you can. It's a whole lot better than doing nothing."
001012
SE001001
Copyright © 2000 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2000. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2000. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .