[BTinSF]

Construction Watch: Homing the Chronically Homeless
Friday, January 30, 2009, by Andy J. Wang



Glittering high-rises: it's been fun, but we're seeing someone else now. Yep, affordable housing is the new luxury condo. The expensive projects have all been kicked in the face and left behind, which leaves buildings meant for seniors, families down on their luck, and the chronic homeless dominating the construction scene. See: 66 9th, 1390 Mission, and subject of today's Construction Watch, 149 Mason, a Glide project featuring 56 studios for the chronic homeless. Each will go for about $300 rent, with the rest being subsidized by the city. When last we checked in November, the site was just a hole in the ground. Looks like they're making pretty solid progress. Completion's targeted for the end of the year, according to Glide's website.

Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2009/01/30/construction_watch_homing_the_chronically_homeless.php

Affordable Housing du Jour: Diversifying in NoPa
Tuesday, February 17, 2009, by Andy J. Wang



The SF Business Times takes a look at one of the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp's latest projects: the Zygmunt Arendt House, 47 studio apartments for formerly homeless seniors. Location: a mildly surprising spot in North of Panhandle, at 850 Broderick St. The affordable housing nonprofit normally builds in the Tenderloin, but this is what they call "de-concentration of poverty," which sounds something like the opposite of "spreading the wealth." As we've noted before, the TNDC's on a bit of a tear with their affordable housing projects; according to the story, work begins this year on 1400 Mission St., 210 studio apartments across from the finned building at 1390 Mission. The money's got to dry up sometime, though— as money from an affordable housing bond runs out, four (!!) other TNDC projects will have to go on the backburner.

Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2009/02/17...diversifying_in_nopa.php#reader_comments

The "finned building" is the Mercy Housing project at 10th & Mission--and I'm hoping/assuming 1400 Mission would be the "other half" of the 10th & Market project. Could that mean the whole thing--including the market rate half actually on Market St--could get going?