Housing, Center Serve Low-Income Seniors in San Francisco

New affordable housing with a vibrant senior center is filling a great need for underserved elders in San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood.

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Blake Thompson

The Dr. George W. Senior Residence and Senior Center in San Fran… Read More The Dr. George W. Senior Residence and Senior Center in San Francisco includes 120 one- and two-bedroom apartments available to low-income seniors 62 and older and 14,000 square feet of senior center space. In addition, 23 apartments are set aside for formerly chronically homeless seniors.

Blake Thompson

The building is designed for seniors to age in place. It's l… Read More The building is designed for seniors to age in place. It's located a half-block from a light-rail station, and connected to that station with wide, new sidewalks and accessible routes. On the interior, universal design features help residents live independently longer, while sustainable features keep residents comfortable, healthy, and frees up important discretionary income by keeping utility costs low.

Blake Thompson

The building also incorporates a senior center, operated by Bayv… Read More The building also incorporates a senior center, operated by Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services. The center is accessible for residents and for seniors in the broader Bayview community and provides recreational activities, meals, classes, and events.

Blake Thompson

The development is the first phase of the Eastern Bayview Choice… Read More The development is the first phase of the Eastern Bayview Choice Neighborhoods housing plan. Seniors in the Alice Griffith public housing development received first priority to live in the new building.

The Dr. George W. Davis Senior Residence and Senior Center, which was completed in May 2016, had been the dream of the late Dr. George W. Davis, who had been the executive director of Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services for over three decades and a force in the community.

Developed by St. Louis–based developer McCormack Baron Salazar and Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services, the project includes 120 one- and two-bedroom units for seniors 62 and older earning 30% and 50% of the area median income. Twenty-three units are set aside for seniors who had been chronically homeless.

In addition, the property, which is certified LEED Platinum, includes 14,000 square feet of senior center space, operated by Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services, with a conference room, a kitchen, a lounge, and staff offices.

“There is other senior housing in the neighborhood, but nowhere at the level to meet the demand. More important is the senior center that’s located on the first floor for the entire neighborhood,” says Yusef Freeman, managing director of new business at McCormack Baron Salazar. “It’s a truly vibrant place that has programming that starts early in the morning through late evening.”

The building is part of the first phase of the Eastern Bayview Choice Neighborhoods Housing Plan, which received a $30.5 million Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant in 2011 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help revitalize the Alice Griffith public housing development and the surrounding neighborhood.

“We’re very excited that we can create new housing and preserve affordability for the public housing residents and the lower-income residents of the neighborhood so there isn’t displacement,” says Freeman.

In addition to city, state, and federal support, the $54.9 million development was financed with a first mortgage through Citi Community Capital and low-income housing tax credit equity through Wells Fargo.