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SF’s Largest Permanent Supportive Housing Just Opened

1064 Mission has 256 studio apartments, on-site health services, Chef’s job training program & more
By - posted 2/2/2023 No Comment

Mayor London N. Breed recently joined federal and local government leaders and community partners for the grand opening of 1064 Mission Street, a new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) development serving adults exiting homelessness. With a total of 256 studio apartments, 1064 Mission is San Francisco’s largest PSH site. 153 apartments will be dedicated to formerly homeless adults and 103 to formerly homeless individuals over the age of 55.

1064 Mission Street is a collaborative partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), Mercy Housing California, and Episcopal Community Services (ECS). The new building, funded with City and State funds, fits into the City’s larger efforts to reduce homelessness. These new homes are part of the over 3,000 PSH units created as part of Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan, which is the largest expansion of housing for the formerly homeless in decades.

“When developers have the vision to marry housing and critical services, they help set residents up for success in a life lived off the streets,” said Gustavo Velasquez, Director of the California Department of Housing & Community Development. “Through the No Place Like Home Program – and the shared commitment of San Francisco leaders – this Mission Street facility will provide on-site health services, training for work in the food service industry, and ready access to in-home supportive services.”

In addition to being San Francisco’s largest PSH site, 1064 Mission Street’s unique programmatic innovations will provide a level of on-site supportive services that far exceed those found in traditional supportive housing. Services, programs, and amenities include:

  • On-site nursing and primary care medical services with an emphasis on patient access, dignity, compassion, provided by the St. Anthony Foundation
  • In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Hub for formerly homeless older adults and people with disabilities, operated by Homebridge
  • A 6,000 sq. ft. commercial kitchen that serves as the flagship location for ECS’ social enterprise program: Conquering Homelessness through Employment in Food Services (CHEFS)
  • Community-use open space (open to the public five days per week)
  • Kitchen, onsite laundry, and landscaped courtyard 

CHEFS is a 12-week training program that combines classroom instruction, case management, in-kitchen hands-on training, employment auditions, and paid internships at local restaurants and institutional kitchens. 1064 Mission Street also houses the new Maria X Martinez Health Resource Center, operated by SFDPH. The newly constructed facility provides multi-disciplinary services to vulnerable adults in San Francisco, especially people experiencing homelessness.

The City began exploring opportunities to purchase the site, a former parking lot for the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, from the Federal Government in 2017 during the tenure of the late Mayor Ed Lee. Under his leadership, and in collaboration with the Federal Delegation, the U.S. General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the land – appraised at a value of $54 million – was transferred to the City of San Francisco for one dollar. The deal constituted the nation’s first-ever use of the federal Title V program to create Low-Income Housing Tax Credit-financed affordable housing. 

In 2019, Mayor Breed dedicated $46.5 million in City funds for 1064 Mission Street through MOHCD. Additional major funding includes $27.8 million in financing from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s No Place Like Home (NPLH) program for the development of permanent supportive housing, and $13.4 million from SFDPH and HSH to support operations for the Maria X Martinez Health Resource Center. 

After a comprehensive and competitive bidding process, Mercy Housing was selected to develop the property, with ECS to own, operate, and provide wraparound services to the site’s future residents. ECS and Mercy Housing worked closely with MOHCD and SFDPH to utilize California Senate Bill 35 (SB-35) to streamline the approvals process, and leveraged the State Density Bonus to optimize the number of homes that could be created on the site. To expedite the construction process, the units were built off-site and assembled on location, an approach that helped save time and reduce costs. Both Mercy Housing and ECS have decades of experience housing the most vulnerable San Franciscans and have made significant investments in the success of this site.

“The CHEFS program has enabled the individuals we serve to gain invaluable skills in the culinary and service industry and gain stable employment. We are so grateful to be able to expand this program to accommodate 150 more participants,” said ECS Executive Director Beth Stokes. “The CHEFS program not only provides meaningful workforce development opportunities but also helps provide nearly 500,000 meals for the individuals we serve on an annual basis. This site reinforces ECS’ commitment to San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents.” 

Today’s grand opening coincides with the certification of San Francisco’s Housing Element, an ongoing policy effort that will shape the future of housing in San Francisco. The Housing Element includes extensive actions on funding, additional streamlining, and City-wide support to produce and preserve housing at all levels of affordability. The 256 units of permanent supportive housing at 1064 Mission represent a new model for producing affordable housing utilizing local, regional, state, and federal funding, and illustrates the level of collaboration required to execute on housing goals and stabilize vulnerable communities.

Read more at SF.gov