Information for Renters

Resources for Affordable Rental Housing in San Francisco

What is "affordable?" – If you are having a hard time paying your rent, are homeless, living in an over-crowded situation or in unsafe or unsanitary housing, you may qualify for affordable housing. "Affordable housing" means that you do not have to pay more than 30% of your income for the rent and utilities.

Are you eligible? – To be eligible for affordable housing, the income that you and your family earn or receive per year must be within a certain amount (limit) set by the federal government. This amount is different, depending on the size of your family and on the specific affordable housing that you are trying to get. The income limits for affordable housing are stated as a percentage of the median income for the San Francisco area, or "Area Median Income (AMI)." Some affordable housing may have an income limit of 60% of the Area Median Income (60% AMI), and other housing a limit of 80% AMI. If your or your family’s income is equal to or less than the income limit for the housing that you’re interested in, you may be eligible for it. There are other requirements that you must meet to be eligible, but income is the most important one.

Where is the housing? – There is a lot of affordable housing in many parts of San Francisco. It is financed, developed, owned and operated by several different organizations. There is no single place where you can apply for all of it. Continue reading to get information about who to contact and where to go to apply.

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CURRENT LISTINGS

Affordable Multi-family Housing Developments in San Francisco – Click here for current listings.

The Mayor’s Office of Housing provides financing to help create affordable rental housing in San Francisco, but we do not own and operate any affordable apartments or houses. The rental housing that our financing helps to create is owned and operated by private, non-profit corporations. To apply for this housing, you must contact these corporations directly. Please see the list below called " Non-profit Organizations that Manage Affordable Multi-family Housing Developments in San Francisco" and call these agencies to ask about buildings that might have openings or wait lists.

Almost every affordable housing development in San Francisco will have a waiting list, and in many cases, the waiting lists will be closed. Don’t be discouraged and apply to as many places as possible. When new affordable housing is about to open, the owners will advertise the dates and times when they will accept applications and the location. Also, occasionally owners of existing affordable housing will advertise that they are opening their waiting lists for new applications. MOH posts these advertisements on this web site, so check this space regularly for new and existing housing opportunities. Or please call (415) 701-5500.

Inclusionary Housing Below Market Rate (BMR) Rental Units in San Francisco – Click here for current listings.

The City of San Francisco requires certain private, for-profit owners of rental housing to set aside some apartments in their buildings and charge rents for them that are below market rate. These apartments are called Below Market Rate units or BMR units. Some of these apartments may be affordable to you and your family, depending upon your income. These units do not have waiting lists. You must apply for each unit as it is posted on our website. The Mayor’s Office of Housing posts these units as they become available. Or please call (415) 701-5500.

San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Rental Units – Click here for current listings.

Like the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) provides financing for the creation of affordable housing in the city. SFRA has helped to develop thousands of affordable apartments in over 80 buildings in San Franciso. For a listing of this housing and the contact information that you will need to apply for it, visit the SFRA web site, or contact their office at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 749-2400.

San Francisco Housing Authority Rental Units – Click here for current listings.

In addition to the above organizations, the San Francisco Housing Authority owns and operates affordable apartments in several buildings across the city. SFHA also operates the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program. The Section 8 Program helps low-income people to afford regular apartments in San Francisco by paying part of the rent directly to the landlord. For more information, visit the SFHA web site, or contact their office at 440 Turk Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 554-1200.

Non-profit Organizations that Manage Affordable Multi-family Housing Developments in San Francisco - Please contact these organizations directly to get on waiting lists for affordable rental units.

Asian Neighborhood Design
1182 Market Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 593-0423

Asian, Inc.
1670 Pine Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 928-5910

Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center
515 Cortland Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 206-2140

Bridge Housing Corporation
345 Spear Street, Suite 700
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 989-1111

Chinatown Community Development Center
1525 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 984-1450

Citizens Housing Corporation
26 O’Farrell Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 421-8605

Community Housing Partnership
280 Turk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 929-2470

Mercy Housing California
1028A Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 487-6825

Housing Development and Neighborhood Preservation Corporation
76 2nd Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 395-9698

Mission Housing Development Corporation
474 Valencia Street, Suite 280
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 864-6432

S.F. Housing Development Corporation
5266 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 822-1022

Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation
201 Eddy Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 776-2151

Tenants and Owners Development Corporation
230 - 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 896-1880

Get Help Finding Affordable Housing!

Applying for and getting affordable housing can be a difficult task. There are several organizations in the city that can help you with the process. They are as follows.

Housing Counseling Agencies

AIDS Housing Alliance

AIDS Legal Referral Panel of the SF Bay Area

Asian Neighborhood Design

Asian, Inc.

Chinatown Community Development Center

Eviction Defense Collaborative, Inc.

Independent Living Resource Center of SF

649 Mission Street #3

(415) 543-6222

Legal Assistance to the Elderly

995 Market Street, Suite 1400
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 538-3333