Affordable Housing on “Parcel G”

On July 15th the Redevelopment Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposed affordable housing development at the SE corner of Fulton and Gough. Known as “Parcel G,” the lot is one of 22 parcels formerly occupied by the Central Freeway. We urge HVNA members to attend that meeting and show their support for the project.
HVNA and its Transportation & Planning Committee have reviewed this proposal numerous times and we unanimously support the plan. The plan includes 120 units of housing and on-site support services for formerly homeless individuals. It is organized around an open interior courtyard with ground floor retail spaces facing Fulton and Gough Streets.
No parking is slated for the development. This keeps construction costs down and the project affordable. The project is adjacent to the Performing Arts garage, so visitors who drive to the site will have plenty of nearby parking.

The developers are Community Housing Partnership, which specializes in supportive housing, and Mercy Housing, which has produced and managed many successful affordable housing projects. The architect is David Baker, who is an award-winning architect recognized for his excellence in design for both affordable and market rate housing. The design is architecturally attractive and interesting, it would enliven streets and preserve views of the existing mural.
The plan is consistent with HVNA’s goal of ensuring affordable housing for all. Recall that as part of the deal to fund construction of Octavia Boulevard and Patricia’s Green, the remaining freeway parcels were to be sold for housing development with 50 percent of that housing affordable. Seven of the parcels were sold to the Redevelopment Agency for construction of affordable housing.

This will be one of the first projects built on the former freeway parcels and will set a standard of architectural excellence. It will also be one of the first projects to be built under the new Market/Octavia Plan, which is intended to foster a diverse, walkable neighborhood that is less automobile dependent. And it will serve an extremely needy population with much needed housing and support services.

As good as this all is, the project is not a done deal and needs our support. Some adjacent property owners have raised concerns about the project and slowed the approval process. They object to having formally homeless individuals living nearby, and are demanding that the project provide an expensive garage even though studies show that people who will live there do not own automobiles and there is a public garage adjacent to the project. They also object to the density, which is comparable to existing neighborhood densities, even though crucial support services wouldn’t be feasible with fewer than the proposed 120 units.

HVNA is proud to support this project and is committed to solving the citywide problem of homelessness by providing real concrete solutions – i.e. housing. Please come out and speak in favor of the Parcel G project July 15, 4PM, City Hall room 416. Redevelopment Agency agendas are not finalized until the Friday before the hearing. Check their website to confirm. For additional questions, contact Robin Levitt at 863-5302.