SAN FRANCISCO—A real estate investor filed an application to permanently house social service and nonprofits groups in San Francisco’s Mission District.
Common Ground Urban Development, managed by Chris Foley, filed an application to build a 200,000-square-foot complex for nonprofits groups at 1850 Bryant St.
“We’re basically offering affordable housing for social service nonprofits,” said Foley to the SF Gate.
The five-story building would be divided into 10 commercial condominiums and sold to nonprofits that offer services like job training, housing placement, addiction counseling, and adult education.
According to a report issued in March 2016 by Northern California Grantmakers, an organization that supports nonprofits, 82 percent of local nonprofit groups are concerned about the impact of the real estate market on their viability. While 68 percent of local nonprofits said their lease is going to expire within the next 5 years.
“There is clearly a need for sustainable office space for nonprofits, but the key thing is that it has to be affordable over time. It doesn’t do any good to have affordable space just for three or five years,” said Steve Barton, a member of March by Northern California Grantmakers to the SF Gate.
San Francisco is currently in the process of allocating $6 million to help nonprofits. About 76 organizations received $4.6 million in financial awards and real state services so far, according to Lex Leifheit, nonprofit business development manager at the Mayor’s Office.
“The idea of creating a permanent home for nonprofits, so they have a secure footing in the Mission, is really exciting. I’m intrigued by the idea of joint ownership — kind of a condo building for social service groups, ” said San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen.
