SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor Daniel Lurie joined city leaders, advocates, and community partners Wednesday to break ground on Casa Adelante—1515 South Van Ness, a new 100% affordable housing project in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District. The development will provide 168 permanently affordable rental homes for low-income families, including those experiencing or exiting homelessness and households impacted by HIV.
Located within the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, the $167.7 million project represents a major step forward in San Francisco’s efforts to combat displacement and ensure working-class families can remain in the city.
“We must urgently build more housing to make sure the next generation of San Franciscans can afford to raise their kids here,” said Mayor Lurie. “Casa Adelante brings 168 units of 100% affordable housing to the Mission—opening doors for families who need it most.”
The project includes:
- 120 units for households earning 25% to 80% of the area median income (AMI)
- 42 units for families exiting homelessness
- 5 units reserved for low-income, HIV-positive households
Casa Adelante at 1515 South Van Ness is the latest in a series of deeply affordable developments initiated in the Mission in recent years. It is being led by San Francisco-based nonprofit developers Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) and Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), both of which have worked extensively to create community-centered housing across the city.
“I am thrilled to break ground on this 100% affordable housing project,” said District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder. “The Mission continues to be a neighborhood that not only demands 100% affordable housing, but it also gets the housing built.”
Fielder also acknowledged the critical roles played by community advocates, the city’s Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), and her predecessor, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, in advancing the project.
In addition to housing, the new building will include several on-site community resources: a Head Start childcare center operated by Wu Yee Children’s Services and a new home for the Nuevo Sol Day Laborer and Domestic Worker Center. The development sits adjacent to another affordable project, Casa Adelante—1296 Shotwell, a senior housing complex completed five years ago.
“Today, we’re building on that legacy with another transformative development—one that not only creates affordable homes, but also anchors vital community resources,” said MEDA CEO Luis Granados. “It’s a testament to what’s possible when community vision is honored and funders invest in innovative, community-rooted developments that strengthen neighborhoods for generations to come.”
Chinatown CDC Executive Director Malcolm Yeung echoed that sentiment, describing the project as “the largest affordable housing development in the Mission in two decades.” He praised the partnership with MEDA and city officials, noting the importance of community-led planning in shaping a development that meets both housing and service needs.
Construction will be overseen by a joint venture between Guzman Construction Group and Marinship, two minority-owned contractors certified as local businesses. Additional contributors include David Baker Architects, Y.A. Studio, and Armando Vasquez of Architecture + Construction Management. Completion is anticipated in early 2027.
Funding for the project comes from a combination of sources, including the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (via the Multi-Family Housing Program), and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
The groundbreaking ceremony comes amid Mayor Lurie’s broader housing and homelessness agenda. In recent weeks, Lurie has unveiled several ambitious initiatives, including the “Breaking the Cycle” plan to overhaul the city’s approach to behavioral health and homelessness, and a “Family Zoning” proposal to update outdated land-use laws. He also partnered with the nonprofit Tipping Point Community to launch a new $11 million pilot aimed at preventing family homelessness.
Casa Adelante—1515 South Van Ness is seen as a tangible step in fulfilling that vision, particularly for the historically underserved Latino community of the Mission.
“This is what’s possible when communities of color are trusted and resourced to build what they know their neighborhoods truly need,” Yeung said.
