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The Housing Ladder Program

This is a program for people who live in Permanent Supportive Housing and no longer need intensive onsite social services.

About the program

The housing ladder program is for people who live in the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) funded permanent supportive housing and no longer need intensive services. This program allows them to transition into a more independent affordable housing setting that has a lower level of supportive services.  

Households pay up to 30% of their income in rent and the rest is subsidized. 

This program: 

  • Helps households maximize their independence. 
  • Frees up permanent supportive housing units with a higher level of services for other people who need them. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the housing ladder program, households must:

  • Be a tenant in HSH-funded permanent supportive housing and have lived there for at least 2 years
  • Be in good standing, and have no unpaid rent due and no lease violations
  • Show readiness to move into more independent living

There are housing ladder programs for adults, families, and transitional aged youth.

Households must work with their case manager and property managers to apply.

To apply

Families

Families accepted into the program work with a provider to identify a unit in the private rental market. The maximum rent amount is determined by the number of people in the household and fair market rent. 

Application process:

HSH is no longer accepting applications for the family housing ladder program as of 5:00pm on May 24, 2024.

Adults

Adult housing ladder units are in 3 apartment buildings in the Tenderloin neighborhood.  This program is open to all adults in permanent supportive housing, including people living in young adult sites. 

Application process:  

We are currently accepting applications on an ongoing basis until all vacant housing ladder units are filled.

To submit an application case managers should: 

  1. Support the tenant with completing all sections of the housing ladder application, including the case management form and the property management form (see "Resources" section below). 
  2. Upload the application to the tenant’s Online Navigation Entry (ONE) System profile
  3. Email housingladderprogram@sfgov.org to inform the program manager the application has been uploaded

Transitional Aged Youth (TAY)

TAY aged 18–29 accepted into the Housing Ladder program will be offered either a site-based unit in one of the three apartment buildings or will be referred to work with a provider to identify a unit in the private rental market. Referrals are made based on availability.

Application process:  

HSH is accepting applications for the TAY Housing Ladder through an open waitlist process from July 7, 2025 at 9:00 AM to July 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM, or until a maximum of 50 applications have been submitted.

If fewer than 40 applications have been received by 5:00 PM on July 18, 2025, the waitlist will remain open until at least 40 applications are received.

HSH will review all applications submitted by 5:00 PM on July 18, 2025, and determine eligibility. Applications submitted by this deadline will be prioritized through a lottery process. Applications received after the deadline will be added to the waitlist in the order received, following those submitted before the deadline.

How to Apply:

Case managers should support applicants by completing the following steps:

  1. Assist the tenant with completing Housing Ladder Application, including the case management and property management forms. (See "Resources" section below for additional details.)
  2. Upload the completed application to the tenant’s Online Navigation Entry (ONE) System profile.
  3. Complete the Housing Ladder Application Portal online form

Resources

Housing Ladder Program Application

Housing Ladder Common Questions

For more information contact: housingladderprogram@sfgov.org