Construction is expected to start in the Spring or Summer of next year for the 15-story affordable senior LGBTQ+ housing proposal at 1939 Market Street in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. The development recently secured funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Mercy Housing and Openhouse are joint developers for the project.
1939 Market Street aerial view, design by Paulett Taggart Architects and YA Studio
The 159-foot-tall structure is expected to yield around 145,280 square feet, with 93,070 square feet for housing and 1,700 square feet for commercial space. Parking will be included for 23 bicycles and no cars. Unit types will vary, with 106 studios, 80 one-bedrooms, and a two-bedroom unit. There will be two units designated for on-site management staff, occupying a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom residence. A handful of projects will include specialized equipment to meet the different needs of residents, with 19 units for communication, 94 units for mobility, and 93 units with roll-in showers.
Tiffany Bohee, President of Mercy Housing California, shared, “by pairing affordable, service-enriched housing with climate-conscious design and transit access, 1939 Market will offer homes for LGBTQ+ seniors while contributing to a healthier, more resilient San Francisco. This AHSC award affirms our shared commitment to sustainability and equity and provides critical resources to make this vision a reality.”
1939 Market Street residential entry, design by Paulett Taggart Architects and YA Studio
Co-founder of Openhouse, Dr. Marcy Adelman, stated that, “With the addition of 1939 Market Street, Openhouse will exponentially expand the number of safe, accessible, affordable, and supportive environments where LGBTQ+ older adults can live and thrive in community. Well done, everyone!”
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie shared in a public statement shared by the developers, “we are excited that this project at 1939 Market has officially received funding and is moving forward. This is an important step for LGBTQ seniors who deserve stability, dignity, and access to housing in the city they call home.”
1939 Market Street overlooking the thoroughfare, design by Paulett Taggart Architects and YA Studio
Paulett Taggart Architects is responsible for the design in partnership with the associate architects, Y.A. Studio. The project conforms to a triangular parcel with a knife-edge corner overlooking Market Street and Duboce Avenue. The white-clad complex will be framed with a vertical rectangular grid and a colorful rainbow window pattern rising above the main lobby door.
1939 Market Street, image via Google Satellite
New building permits were filed in late 2022 and issued in October 2023. The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development is the current property owner and will transfer site control to Mercy Housing via a long-term ground lease. Swinerton and Rubecon will form a joint venture as general contractors during construction. The development is expected to cost at least $117 million and could be completed as early as Spring 2028.
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How is it legal to offer homes only to LGTBQ+ people?
How is it legal to only offer homes to low-income folks or people with disabilities? Same idea. I think its really just a themed old folks home. It’s not about rejecting people, it’s about offering people a space where they feel safe and comfortable in their later years.
A home for Chuck and Larry. It’s ironic that libs are pro-segregation and discrimination.
Dude has never read up on the history of banks refusing loans to non-white families, and it shows.
We have decades of literature showing the discrimination of gender, race, origin, religion, and orientation. Did we miss the note that you have to be queer to be here? The organization sure isn’t advertising that… But who on the Reich side of history would ever push disinformation??? Or was it Dear Leader that couldn’t stop b*tching on Faux News about who uses the right bathroom/locker room? Keep your hypocrisy to your ivory penthouse that’s gonna be taxed to hell soon. Bye bye pied-à-terres!
It’s embarrassing how stupid the right can be.
The right, the far right that is, is no less stupid than all of the left.This is an ugly building. Perfect.
Homes for LGBTQ+ seniors… incredible. This is already the sleepiest “big city” in america, can’t wait for all this new life!
Restaurants will close at 8pm now instead of 9pm. The future is zzz…….
How is San Francisco the sleepest big city? Restaurants don’t close at 9PM in the city. You must have come from some MAGA rural countryside.
I have partied with plenty of queer folk in the 60+ range. See 440 Castro or Twin Peaks if you want a good time; both close at 2 AM, by the way. They’re sure as heck more fun on a Thursday night than the 20-something churchgoers I went to college with.
We were camping in a temporary structure designed by a group of 11 architecture students. Two of them couldn’t spend the night or help with the take-down because they couldn’t miss a single Sunday mass. Where’s the youthful fun in that?
Old souls gonna old soul. But what’s great is that older folk across the area can downsize and stay local. Those homes are now open for new families or redevelopment. I know this is a confounding concept.
I often wondered if LGBTQ parts of the city have higher turnover of housing since they don’t have children (for the most part).
Can’t wait to hear your opinion when you get older.
P.S., I guess you have never been to in Dayton.
wish there was more housing for young people. the 70+ generation had their whole lives to advocate for more housing in california, and did not. and now we are left with a housing crisis, while our tax dollars build senior housing
Why the vitriol? I doubt you will be applying to live here in your old age anyway.
Other people will be happy to.
Apparently this comment section is more comfortable filling itself with political rhetoric and lefty/righty name-calling that it is having a balanced debate about the merits of housing policy, urban planning or architecture. Not amused.