This story was originally published in Multifamily Executive.
Affordable housing developer Mercy Housing California on Dec. 15 dedicated its latest project, the 66-unit Bill Sorro Community, designed by Kennerly Architecture & Planning for San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. The development is named for the late Bill Sorro, a social and economic justice activist who died in 2007.
The mixed-use structure replaces the derelict Hugo Hotel, which had sat vacant on the corner of Sixth Street for almost 30 years after a fire burned the interior. Double-height ground-floor retail space occupies the first level, while the residential portion is split into two masonry towers designed to reflect the neighborhood’s character. The intersection-facing tower is nine stories tall and features a rooftop terrace with views of the city. The opposite tower steps down along Sixth Street.
The buildings contain eight studio units, 24 one-bedroom apartments, 24 two-bedrooms, and 10 three-bedrooms. Fifty-three of the units are designated for households earning 40 percent to 50 percent of the area median income, and the remaining 14 are reserved for low-income adults with developmental disabilities. The latter units were financed by HUD's Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program.
“By integrating developmentally disabled adults living within a larger multifamily community, the Bill Sorro Community represents a new model for supportive housing for adults with developmental disabilities,” said Barbara Gualco, director of real estate development at Mercy Housing California, in a statement.
South of Market Child Care will offer parenting classes and family case-management services through the Bill Sorro Community’s family resource center. The Arc of San Francisco will provide supportive services for the development’s disabled residents.
This story was originally published in Multifamily Executive.
