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The latest news and announcements from Mayor London N. Breed

Mayor Lee Announces New Mission Bay Project to House Formerly Homeless Veterans

Partnership with sf.citi to Leverage $5 Million in Philanthropy to Accelerate Affordable Housing Project, Boost Onsite Services to Help City End Chronic Veterans Homelessness

Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced plans for a new 101-unit project to provide housing for 50 formerly homeless veterans and 50 low-income families at 1150 Third Street in Mission Bay and an onsite manager unit.  The project will be built on land dedicated to the City’s Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) for affordable housing and is supported with an initial $5 million in private contributions from technology and business leaders marshalled by the San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology & Innovation (sf.citi).

The 50 new homes for veterans at 1150 Third Street will enhance Mayor Lee’s efforts to put the City on track to meet President Barack Obama’s challenge to local communities to end veteran homelessness, today, as well as in the future. The 50 units for low-income families will contribute to the Mayor’s goal to build and rehabilitate 30,000 new housing units by 2020, with more than half within reach of San Francisco’s low-and middle-income families.

“Moving people off our streets and into supportive housing and services is among my highest priorities, especially when it comes to the brave men and women who have served our country and now find themselves without a home,” said Mayor Lee. “This project in Mission Bay will help us meet our commitment to ending chronic homelessness for veterans and families and is another great example of the public and private sectors coming together to tackle homelessness, housing and other challenges that face our City. I am grateful to sf.citi and the private donors who have stepped up to help house formerly homeless veterans and to make sure our veterans have the dignity of a place to call home.”

The project at 1150 Third Street is made possible through a public-private partnership that will leverage $5 million in philanthropy raised by sf.citi Chair Ron Conway. Initial contributors include the Conway Family, Marc and Lynne Benioff, Peter Thiel, Sean Parker, Andrew Mason, Drew Houston, Alfred and Rebecca Lin and the Golden State Warriors along with two anonymous donors.

These private contributions will accelerate the design and construction of these much-needed affordable housing units in Mission Bay by approximately one year at the front end, and once completed, will provide enhanced specialized and supportive services, medical and vocational equipment, unit furnishings and other capital costs typically considered ineligible under low-income housing funding regulations.

“The purpose of sf.citi is to engage the tech sector, its leaders and workforce in helping to tackle San Francisco’s challenges and I’m very proud that so many have stepped up to partner with Mayor Lee and the Hamilton Family Foundation to house homeless veterans in Mission Bay,” said sf.citi Chair Ron Conway. “Mission Bay is one of the most exciting and thriving new neighborhoods, with UCSF, biotech, new transit, new housing, new parks and a spectacular new arena for the Golden State Warriors coming soon. This new home for some of our country’s bravest men and women will help keep Mission Bay a diverse and welcoming community for all San Franciscans, even as the neighborhood changes and grows.
 
“There are more than 50,000 homeless veterans in this country, and that’s just not acceptable,” said Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. “Every city, every leader and every individual can step up and do more for our veterans. Today, we are coming together to provide critical resources to those in San Francisco who have given so much to our country.”

Salesforce’s VetForce program is donating free Salesforce training, certification and employment assistance for all Veteran residents of the new complex to help them build fulfilling careers in the Salesforce ecosystem. Residents will receive free access to the Salesforce training library through Salesforce University or VetForce partner cohort classes. VetForce is also providing free exam vouchers to residents who want to become Certified Salesforce Administrators. Together, VetForce and the Veterans Housing Initiative are providing critical resources to help Veterans in their civilian transition.

The $5 million in initial private contributions have been secured by Hamilton Family Center who has made a grant to the City to support this development. Hamilton Family Center is a long-standing San Francisco non-profit partner that seeks to end homelessness for families and individuals by providing a safe, stable environment that promotes the dignity of each person.

“Hamilton Family Center is pleased to be a partner in this effort to house homeless veterans and families,” said Hamilton Family Center Executive Director Jeff Kositsky. “This project is part of a citywide effort to reduce and ultimately end homelessness in San Francisco and Hamilton is proud to be a part of it.”

In April 2015, the San Francisco Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, which succeeded the Redevelopment Agency, issued a Request for Proposals for development teams to build on a one acre parcel that will be developed into one, two and three bedroom apartments for formerly homeless veterans and low-income families in the Mission Bay.

Located at the northwest corner of Third and Mission Rock Streets, the site is ideally located adjacent to the Muni T-line and many services in walking distance such as the Mission Bay public library and neighborhood retail. Robust specialized supportive services for veterans will be on-site in collaboration with the City’s Humans Services Agency.  Construction is anticipated to start in late 2016 and occupancy in 2018.

“Post-redevelopment – OCII continues to excel with important projects reaching those who would otherwise be left with little or no choice for safe, affordable housing,’’ said OCII Executive Director Tiffany Bohee.

By accelerating the predevelopment of the project, these private contributions will position the development to compete for funding from the newly launched Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention program from the State’s Housing and Community Development department. Other funding sources that the private contribution will leverage are permanent funding from OCII, low income housing tax credits, tax exempt bonds, and a private construction loan.