apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Huh. I thought SF had zoning rules about large buildings being white or beige.

it's just kinda, there.

OMG... look at their chart! This is supposed to be low income housing?
How is someone earning $39,000 a year supposed to pay over $1000 a month rent?
That's a third of their income!
Most budgets recommend no more than 25% of your income on rent/housing.

"Work-force housing" sounds like a Socialist term! I think I like this but would love to see more of the immediate surroundings.

Ugly! This is the typical education/non profit style buildings -- they are putting it up all over LA too!

lol, looks good to me. being a student planning on moving to SF for grad school, seems appealing! lol.

The developer is Glide Memorial Church - an organization that dates from the 60's and has always found ways to help those who are in need including meals and counseling for the homeless and drug-addicted as well as housing for the lower/working classes. (Which is what they are - not everyone earns $100K and drives a BMW...)

This is located in the Tenderloin - one of the worst neighborhoods in SF. I'm glad they're making an improvement in the area.

And as far as rents - $1000 is quite reasonable for a brand-new 1br apartment in SF, but it would certainly be more reasonable to get a 2br and share w/ a roommate. Also remember: These folks don't need cars but they walk, bike and take public transit instead.

$1000 for rent in SF ,which is consistantly sited as the most expensive city in the nation to live in, is a frigging steal. In fact, that's a deal in many big cities across the country.

Most comparably sized apts in SF are at least $1600, and yes, that's even in the Tenderloin. This is why so many low and middle income folks have moved away. There are plenty of families, many of them immigrants, with several kids living in one or two-bedroom apartments in the Tenderloin. There's no safe place for kids to play and it's far from ideal, but all they can afford. My guess is that Glide (which is a great place) will provide some on-site management and services to ensure that the development succeeds. btw--we live in Oakland now because as artists, can't afford SF, can hardly afford Oakland.

Looks the same as all of the cheap, poorly constructed, and uninspired buildings everyone is throwing up here in New York. Sad to see them doing the same in my hometown...

i pay $1000 for an apt. in baltimore, so comparatively it seems pretty reasonable for a brand new place in a city like san fran. factoring in the chance you might not have to have a car - cutting out car payments and insurance, and that jobs pay higher there, it's sounds like a pretty nice deal.

I think it's interesting!

And you guys are complaining about "uninspired" design? It's low-income housing, which there isn't enough of in SF, and it's not Government Issue Grey. That's inspired enough for me.

This design is much more interesting then most in SF, and more so then the tall glass towers being built here now.

It's a bit difficult to criticize the design when the focus should be on new low-income housing, which is tremendously important. I'm a neighbor to this building and it's been a complete pleasure to watch the construction. Right on to Glide for continuing to do amazing work ... if that's not inspiring, then no building will be, either!

I wish I only had to pay $1,000. Then again $1,600 for a tiny studio in the West Village is still a deal so I will shut up now.

The federal government uses 30% of income as a benchmark for what constitutes affordable housing. In other words, people making the transition from "welfare to work" are supposed to pay nearly one-third of their income for housing. Housing with supportive services makes a great deal of sense, and (I don't mean this to sound patronizing, but I've worked for several years with this population) not everyone who gets into such housing can sustain it. The housing looks great, I have lots of confidence in Glide Memorial Church, and makes me reconsider spending bigger bucks on non-essentials.

I some how do not understand way a person who makes so little money even ends up in a city like SF. I make a great salary and and would never ever even think of moving their. Or NY or Chicago, etc.
It is sad that our big cities cost so much to live in---but so does living in a high priced neighborhood anywhere USA.
For a low income home this building looks down right wonderful to me. It really looked rather high priced to me when I first saw the photo. Nicer then most new condos that cost 300k in my part of the country.

@poptart some people like to live in a city they like or where the opportunity for them is. for instance, i am trying to be an artist and therfore i need to live in a city like NY, SF, or LA because that is where all the opportunity is for that field. Plus SF and NY are amazing places to be.

poptart,
some people believe it or not actually are BORN in San Francisco, their families have been there for generations. Should they have to move because a yuppie from the fly over state suddenly decided they want to be an urbanite and drives up the prices of rent.

The majority of people who live in low income housing are people with strong root in San Francisco who have been driven out of other rental markets by people moving into the city from other states.

I do not drive a high priced car.
I do not own high priced cloths.
I do not own costly jewels.
I do not shop in high priced shops.
I do not go to high priced shows.
I do not take trips around the world.
I rarely eat out.
And I do not live in a costly city or hood.

So if you want to live in SF on the cheap then please do so---buy the way, is not low income housing paid for by tax dollars? This is what is wrong with our country today---everyone wants what they do not have or can not afford to do! I use to live in the NY area all my young life and cannot do so now in any way shape or form! Just because your an artist or have family roots give you no entitlements to life! Boy I sure would love to live in Paris the city of Lights and never ending beauty!
My Grandparents and Great Grandparents all lived in Paris so I should be allowed to live their in a beautiful new building (like above) for 1K a month.

wow.

poptart, your post makes no sense. low income housing is for people that ALREADY reside in a city so you claiming people are moving to a city to then live in low income housing is a total lie. considering the other lies you believe it's not surprising that you wouldn't let reality affect your judgement.
Actually it's not your tax dollars, it's mine. I live in SF, i pay income, property tax and sales tax and I am more than happy if a few and very few cents goes to a low income project especially in a city like SF where people that have a far great right to live here than a person like myself who has worked to raised myself from poor to upper middle and can afford to have a home here.

If you were actually born and lived all your life in Paris then yes you would be able to get on the list for cheaper rent but you weren't. your family had the money and ability and the choice to move some where else and obviously staying in Paris wasn't important to them.
the NY area, I'm guessing someone grew up the island or westchester, mommy and daddy took care of them and now that they have to do it themselve, they can't. poor baby. it's always the most priveleged people that whine about how someone's got it better than them.

I think it has a good start but it looks very closed in. Do these people not get balconies?

I'm one of those people that has to be able to open the windows or sit out on a porch. I would get depressed without access to the outdoors.