Unanimously approved by the Planning Commission in January, the redevelopment of almost six acres in Hayes Valley is on appeal and the project will be heard by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors tomorrow (3/4/08) at 4pm.
A former UC Berekely Extension campus, the development of 55 Laguna by A.F. Evans would raze two of the oldest existing buildings on the site but yield 413 new housing units: 328 apartments (66 affordable) and an 85-unit affordable development for seniors targeting the LGBT community (in partnership with OpenHouse).
The development would also include a 25,000-square-foot park, a 10,600-square-foot community garden, and a 12,000-square-foot community center.
∙ 55 Laguna [55laguna.com]
∙ Affordable housing doubled at old UC site [SFGate]
∙ San Francisco Board of Supervisors Agenda: March 4, 2008 [SFGov]
All very predictable. At least the New College of California is being stripped of its accreditation, a just reward for its machinations in trying to appropriate the UC extension site for itself.
Do you know what direction that first picture is facing? I assume this is on Laguna facing West, but I don’t know. This is pretty close to my house and I want to know what the view down Waller Street will look like when this is done!
“85-unit affordable development for seniors targeting the LGBT community” — if this means what I think it means, that is, having a sexual orientation other than being straight means I get certain housing privileges or benefits to live in SF, I hereby declare myself bi. Thanks. Now, where do I sign up for affordable housing?
Unless this means I have to be old AND bi … then I guess I’ll just have to wait a little bit longer.
Would it not be illegal to require a certain sexual orientation to be eligible for housing? Is this not some kind of reverse discrimination?
This looks like a very nice proposal– why appeal it?
Nothing is illegal, per se, in San Francisco…. especially not discrimination against heterosexuals!!
There should be more facilities for gay & lesbian seniors, and it would be extra nice to have them in the city which has a large gay population in general. Many gay seniors are not allowed to live with their partners in traditional old-age homes, or have to go back in the closet because their peers are unaccepting of their lifestyle.
I think this facility will meet a real need. I am sure a straight senior could live there, but there’s a lot of self-segregation in this population (eg most seniors at the JCC assisted living facility are Jewish, etc).
Just an anecdote: At the gay pride parade a few years ago, I met an older gay man who lived up in Petaluma in an assisted living facility. He came down to the city once in a while with some of the nurses, but was in the closet most of the time because the other residents in his facility were made uncomfortable by his sexual orientation. That sucks. I bet he would be much happier living in the city, close to public transportation and within easy Muni distance to the Castro and the opera (both of which he liked to visit while in SF). Let’s get this thing built!
Actually, the housing targeting LGBT seniors is in fact open to all, so no need to declare yourself anything in particular. Because yes, if it’s publicly supported it needs to be non-discriminatory. Open House is seeking to develop a “mixed income, LGBT-friendly senior housing with comprehensive social and health services”. Sounds like a great idea to me.
Actually, whether publicly supported or not, housing in California can’t discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
The fact that this housing is subsidized, however, means that there will be a lottery with hundreds, if not thousands of names of potential residents, gay and straight. Indeed, it could end up being “LGBT-friendly” housing in which most of the residents are straight.
I am 62,black,gay and a handicapped Vet, this type of housing is desperately needed.