These Affordable Housing Projects Will Relieve Some Of The Pressure On Bay Area’s Housing
The San Francisco Bay Area’s housing needs are reaching critical levels, especially for families and low-income households. To solve the problem, cities are entering into public-private partnerships to develop affordable housing and family-style rentals throughout the region. Check out some of the affordable and family housing in the planning or development stages below:
Estrella Vista
Developer: EAH Housing
Units: 86
Location: 3706 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville
EAH Housing and the City of Emeryville broke ground in October on the 86-unit residential development at 3706 San Pablo Ave. The $64M multifamily rental community will offer families earning 30% to 60% of Alameda County’s area median income units with up to four bedrooms. The new development also will include 7K SF of street-level retail.
Estrella Vista offers large central courtyards with play equipment for children and a Zen garden. Courtyards are elevated above street level. The community also offers an outdoor skydeck at the sixth level.
Project designer KTGY Architecture + Planning is working with local artist Eric Powell to integrate a piece of public art into the overall architecture. EAH plans to pursue LEED Gold certification. Green features include solar panels, a solar water heating system, low-flow plumbing fixtures, recycled materials, energy-efficient appliances and water-efficient landscaping. The project is expected to be completed in September 2019.
Balboa Upper Yard
Developer: Related California and Mission Housing Development Corp.
Units: 121
Location: 2340 San Jose Ave., San Francisco
Developers submitted initial plans in September to develop a parcel next to the Balboa Park BART station into an affordable housing development. The project, designed by Mithun | Solomon, will build 121 units, 12K SF of retail, community service space and a child care center. The site is currently a parking lot.
The Mayor’s Office on Housing and Community Development previously secured control of the parcel owned by the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Authority and reached an agreement with BART to use some of the BART parcel for open space. Related California also recently completed a 198-unit 100% affordable housing project in Mission Bay.
Coliseum Connections
Developer: UrbanCore and Oakland Economic Development Corp.
Units: 110
Location: near Oakland Coliseum BART
The $53M mixed-income housing project, which broke ground in October, will have a mix of apartments and townhomes with half set aside for low-income residents. The project, designed by Pyatok Architects and Prefab Logic, will use prefab structures.
Renters earning under 60% of the area median income will qualify for affordable units. Market-rate housing will target middle-income families with rents ranging from $1,800 to $2,400. The development at Snell Street between 70th and 71st avenues is expected to be completed by December 2018.
Sunnydale Velasco Complex
Developers: Related California and Mercy Housing
Units: 1,700
Location: Sunnydale neighborhood of San Francisco
San Francisco’s largest affordable housing project will redevelop a public housing site in Sunnydale and expand the site from 778 existing public housing units to 1,700 mixed-income housing units with very-low-income to market-rate units. The project is part of the HOPE SF Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, which is San Francisco’s anti-poverty collaborative plan.
The redevelopment will replace the current public housing with new public housing and add 3.5 acres of public open space, plazas, urban gardens, social services, and community and rec centers. Infrastructure also will extend the street grid to better connect the neighborhood with the surrounding area.
TL 361 and TL 145
Developer: Forge Land Co.
Units: 231 units
Location: 361 Turk and 145 Levenworth in San Francisco
This workforce housing project will offer a co-living environment to people with income less than $80K/year with no government assistance. The prefab building will have units with 250 SF to 440 SF with a shared community space on each floor. Occupancy is expected by the end of 2018. This is Forge’s first workforce housing project in the city, and it plans to do at least two more.
