For more than a decade, no new affordable housing was built in San Francisco’s Mission District and many families were pushed out.
Now the doors are opening to new units that are allowing people to stay.
Mayor London Breed celebrated the grand opening of a new 100% affordable housing development at 490 South Van Ness Ave. in the Mission with a special ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday.
The event started with a blessing in Spanish and Mayan, welcoming families who are being given a chance to stay in their own neighborhood.
"There are so many families in the Mission that are living in tiny SRO hotel rooms. Four people, five people to a room," Supervisor Hillary Ronen said.
Tenants in the brand new seven-story and 80 unit complex, which broke ground in 2018 on land that was formerly a gas station, will have access to a playground and communal spaces.
Crucially, Mayor Breed said residents will pay no more than 30 percent of their income in rent.
"You’re talking about family of four making no more than about 80,000 per year," Mayor Breed said. "That may sound like a lot but in San Francisco it is very difficult with kids that make that much money to be able to afford to pay rent."
The new building is one of seven of its kind in the Mission that have either opened or are in the works.
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