A much-needed affordable housing project for LGBTQ+ seniors in San Francisco’s Castro District has hit a setback, as state agency funding was denied, even though the proposal was described as “a great project,”The Bay Area Reporter wrote.
Mercy Housing California, a senior living facility for elderly LGBTQ+ people, had applied for nearly $39 million from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program, a joint initiative by California’s Department of Housing and Community Development and the Strategic Growth Council. The funds would have funded a 187-unit affordable housing development in the Castro, the city’s historically gay neighborhood.
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Amar Cid, deputy director of Community Investments and Planning, said the project had limited funds and much competition, with other applicants scoring higher.
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“Round 8 of the AHSC program had many transformative, impactful community projects. Like every round, total project requests far exceeded the available funds. This year, requests were more than double what we could grant. It was a highly competitive process,” he told The Bay Area Reporter.
Cid emphasized that the rejection doesn’t mean the project isn’t valuable.
“The team met with the 1939 Market Street project team in mid-September to discuss ways to increase their score if they choose to apply in a future round,” he said, emphasizing that he told its organizers to apply again in the future. ”
“[It’s] a great project … [and] we hope they consider applying in a future round,” he said.
“Why some projects may have been awarded with a lower score than the 1939 Project has to do with other projects perhaps meeting specific [disadvantaged communities] and/or program priorities,” Cid said.
The affordable housing developer is partnering with Openhouse, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides services for LGBTQ+ seniors, to create their third building of below-market-rate apartments, primarily for LGBTQ+ seniors. Previously, the two organizations collaborated on 119 units of affordable, LGBTQ+-friendly senior housing spread across two buildings located at 55 and 95 Laguna Street — both are near the Castro District.
The push for affordable housing in the Castro is especially crucial as LGBTQ+ seniors face unique challenges in finding safe, inclusive living spaces. Mercy Housing’s commitment to resubmitting their application is a step forward, but the struggle for adequate funding continues.
Mercy Housing California said that it will reapply for funding in 2025. In a statement to Bay Area Reporter, the organization expressed hope for next year.
“Unfortunately, this does push the schedule back one year. However, we remain committed to delivering 187 units of LGBTQ+ friendly housing as soon as possible,” the organization said.
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