San Francisco’s 1st Disability-Forward Housing Community Breaks Ground

Disability-forward housing is becoming a reality in the heart of San Francisco, California. Recently, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and disability community leaders joined The Kelsey, a San Francisco–based nonprofit that co-develops accessible, affordable, inclusive housing, and its co-developer, Mercy Housing California, to celebrate the groundbreaking for The Kelsey Civic Center.

The development, unique in San Francisco, provides a model for multifamily housing across the country: The Kelsey Civic Center will be affordable to people with and without disabilities making 20% to 80% of the median area income; accessible to people with a spectrum of support, mobility, sensory and cognitive access needs; and inclusive for all residents, with a resident services program designed to support thriving, connected community life.

The Kelsey Civic Center is located at 240 Van Ness Ave., a site chosen for its proximity to transit, jobs, community, arts and entertainment, and additional services. The eight-story building will include 112 studio and two-bedroom apartments, with 25% of units reserved for people with disabilities. Two full-time Inclusion Concierges will help residents navigate their neighborhood, engage with their city, connect to programs and activities and build community among disabled and nondisabled residents across access needs.

The Kelsey Civic Center’s ground floor will house the Disability Cultural Community Center, which will serve as a gathering place for people with and without disabilities to connect. Anticipated resources include a gallery, a space for pop-up disability-forward businesses and a co-working area. The community also includes an outdoor public art installation by JD Green, an artist at Creativity Explored, a San Francisco – based organization that supports artists with disabilities. In addition, The Kelsey Civic Center was a 2020 winning project in the C40 Reinventing Cities Competition, earning praise for its disability-forward design and sustainability features, which include a large courtyard garden and efficient units with shared community spaces that will minimize resource waste.

The Kelsey Civic Center was designed by WRNS Studio and Santos Prescott and Associates. Cahill Contractors is the construction partner.

The Civic Center development is the second execution of The Kelsey’s model for disability-forward housing. The first, The Kelsey Ayer Station in San Jose, California, broke ground last June.

Source: thekelsey.org