San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed joined City officials, community leaders, and housing advocates to celebrate the grand opening of 921 Howard, a new 18-story 100% affordable housing development. Located at the corner of Fifth and Howard streets in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood near many cultural institutions, the new development is served by major public transit routes.
Increasing housing affordable for low- and moderate-income residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over eight years. 921 Howard is one of eight affordable housing projects that have completed or will complete construction between mid 2023 and the end of 2024, with an additional eight expected to be completed in the next two years.
921 Howard is an example of a “missing middle” project that creates essential housing opportunities for moderate-income households. The development offers 203 new homes for households making between 75% -120% of the Area Median Income (AMI) with an average income of 90% AMI. At approximately 205,000 square feet and standing 18 stories tall, this new building is one of the largest affordable housing projects San Francisco has seen in the past 10 years. The project was awarded the San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deal of the Year in 2023.
“In San Francisco, we need more housing for our middle-income residents to be able to live and thrive,” said Mayor Breed. “Projects like 921 Howard are proof that we can make great things happen when we work together to remove the barriers that get in the way of affordable housing production and focus on delivering housing at different income levels. I want to thank everyone involved in this project, including the developers, state and private funding partners, for helping us make this project a reality.”
Located within the Central SoMa Plan Area, 921 Howard is served by numerous local and regional public transit routes and is within two blocks of publicly accessible recreational and cultural facilities, including Yerba Buena Gardens, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora, and the San Francisco Modern Art Museum. Residents also benefit from the building’s proximity to numerous retail services, grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, schools, and several places of worship, all within walking distance.
“Today marks a significant milestone for the South of Market community as we celebrate the grand opening of 921 Howard Street,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This remarkable 18-story tower, which is providing more than 200 affordable housing units for moderate-income San Franciscans, is a prime example of how we can address the critical ‘missing middle’ housing gap in our City. Projects like 921 Howard are essential to ensure that San Francisco remains a vibrant, diverse and equitable city for all its residents.”
In addition to providing on-site resident services, community rooms, outdoor terraces, and indoor bike parking for residents, 921 Howard is one of nearly 100 local buildings served through the City’s Fiber to Housing program, a collaboration between San Francisco's Department of Technology (SFDT) and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) aimed at bridging the digital divide by providing free, high-speed internet to low- and moderate-income residents. The Fiber to Housing program will result in a service benefit of approximately $400 million over 20 years. 156 residents at 921 Howard are currently signed up for free home internet through the program.
"I am proud that our department has partnered with the Mayor's Office to connect residents to free, high-speed internet," said Michael Makstman, City Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of the Department of Technology. "Internet is a necessity to ensure that kids can keep up in school, people can find jobs and participate in online work opportunities, and senior residents can access remote medical care. As the Department of Technology continues to bring free internet to existing housing, we are excited that new buildings are also connected to City-provided connections from the start."
921 Howard was developed by Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), a non-profit developer that has built and managed more than 45 buildings located across seven San Francisco neighborhoods, and Curtis Development, a woman-owned, African American development company focused on developing mixed-use urban infill projects. The 18-story building was designed by local architecture firm Perry Architects, with construction managed by Swinerton Builders. The new development received GreenPoint Gold-Rated certification, one of the highest certifications for sustainable construction
“The project at 921 Howard speaks to Curtis Development and TNDC’s perseverance and commitment to providing affordable housing at a broad spectrum of income levels ranging from the very low-income units supported by San Francisco Housing Authority to the middle-income units supported by the California Housing Finance Agency,” said Charmaine Curtis, Principal at Curtis Development.
“921 Howard is one of the most cost-effective affordable housing buildings ever developed in San Francisco,” added Katie Lamont, Chief Finance Officer and Interim Co-CEO at TNDC.
Major financing for the $161.8 million project was provided by a $39 million investment from MOHCD as well as $62 million in Federal tax credits and $10 million from the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) through the agency’s Mixed-Income Program. Additional funding was provided by a private mortgage and partner equity.
“Supporting housing for diverse income levels and creating integrating communities is exactly what CalHFA’s Mixed-Income Program was created to accomplish,” said Tiena Johnson Hall, Executive Director at CalHFA. “It has been truly gratifying to collaborate with MOHCD, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, and all of the other public and private partners to bring this much-needed affordable housing to San Francisco.”
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