The Housing Ladder Program

The housing ladder program is for people who live in the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) funded permanent supportive housing and no longer need intensive services. This program allows them to transition into a more independent affordable housing setting that has a lower level of supportive services.  

Households pay up to 30% of their income in rent and the rest is subsidized. 

This program: 

• Helps households maximize their independence. 
• Frees up permanent supportive housing units with a higher level of services for other people who need them. 

To be eligible for the housing ladder program, households must: 

• Be a tenant in permanent supportive housing and have lived there for at least 2 years
• Be in good standing and have no lease violations 
• Show readiness to move into more independent living

There are housing ladder programs for adults and families. 

Households must work with their case manager and property managers to apply. 

Families

Families accepted into the program work with a provider to identify a unit in the private rental market. The maximum rent amount is determined by the number of people in the household and fair market rent. 

Application process:

HSH is no longer accepting applications for the family housing ladder program as of 5:00pm on May 24, 2024.

Adults

Adult housing ladder units are in 3 apartment buildings in the Tenderloin neighborhood.  This program is open to all adults in permanent supportive housing, including people living in young adult sites. 

Application process:  

We are currently accepting applications on an ongoing basis until all vacant housing ladder units are filled.

To submit an application case managers should: 

1. Support the tenant with completing all sections of the housing ladder application, including the case management form and the property management form. 
2. Upload the application to the tenant’s Online Navigation Entry (ONE) System profile
3. Email housingladderprogram@sfgov.org to inform the program manager the application has been uploaded

• Housing Ladder program application
• Housing Ladder common questions
• More information: housingladderprogram@sfgov.org