Mayor Lurie Cuts Ribbon on New Accessible 100% Affordable Housing Community

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today cut the ribbon at The Kelsey Civic Center, a new 112-unit affordable housing development and the first in the nation to combine affordable housing, accessible design, and a publicly funded Disability Cultural Center in a central civic location. It provides affordable homes for low- to moderate-income households and individuals with disabilities.

Earlier this year, Mayor Lurie cut the ribbon on The Kelsey’s Disability Cultural Center—the country’s first publicly funded disability cultural center. The mayor has taken steps to build housing across the city and make San Francisco more affordable. Last month, the mayor cut the ribbon to deliver 73 units of new, 100% affordable housing in Hunters Point Shipyard and cut the ribbon on a 135-unit 100% affordable housing development in the Outer Sunset that prioritizes San Francisco Unified School District educators and staff, adding more housing for working families. Earlier this year, he announced his Family Zoning plan to create more housing and ensure that the next generation of San Franciscans can afford to raise their families in the city.

“The Kelsey Civic Center is a model for what inclusive housing can look like—a first-of-its-kind model for accessible, affordable housing in San Francisco,” said Mayor Lurie. “With projects like these, we are proving that we can build communities for people of all abilities in San Francisco. Our administration is working to build enough housing so that kids growing up here can afford to raise their own families in the city they love—and the opening of The Kelsey is another step towards that goal.”

Developed by Mercy Housing California and The Kelsey and located at the corner of Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue, the facility is a bold new model for inclusive, disability-forward, community-centered housing and provides housing for those who use home and community-based services and those eligible for the HUD Section 811 program. The building’s disability-forward design ensures accessibility for people with a range of physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities, and its location near public transit reinforces its role as a hub for community connection.

“The Kelsey’s innovative housing model serves as an example of how to build diverse, affordable, and vibrant urban communities,” said District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. “I’m proud to support this inclusive community and look forward to welcoming new residents to the neighborhood.”

“An accessible and inclusive community benefits everyone,” said Eli Gelardin, Director of the Department of Disability and Aging Services’ Office on Disability and Accessibility. “The Kelsey Civic Center and the Disability Cultural Center are designed and built on these principles. The Office on Disability and Accessibility celebrates this vision and the impact it will have on our community.”

The ground floor of the building houses the Disability Cultural Center—a 1,400-square-foot space offering in-person and virtual programming. Designed in collaboration with the disability community, the center provides educational, artistic, and social opportunities for people with disabilities and their allies. It also includes a sensory-friendly community garden, a flexible community room for gatherings and small group activities, 56 bicycle parking spaces, and two full-time staff members to help residents navigate their neighborhood, engage with their city, connect to programs and activities, and build community among residents with and without disabilities.

“Celebrating the opening of The Kelsey Civic Center marks a historic milestone for disability-forward housing and for San Francisco,” said Micaela Connery, co-founder and CEO of The Kelsey. “By centering people with disabilities from the very beginning, through design, leasing, and opening, we’ve created a community that meets the needs of more San Franciscans and strengthens belonging for everyone. Affordable, accessible, and inclusive homes are not only possible, they are essential to meeting our city’s housing needs. San Francisco has long been a beacon of diversity and inclusion, and we’re proud for The Kelsey Civic Center to be part of that legacy. Together, through public and private collaboration, we can build a better housing future: here in our city and beyond.”

“The Kelsey Civic Center is a bold blueprint for how we build belonging. It shows what’s possible when inclusive design, sustainability, and community come together in the heart of San Francisco,” said Tiffany Bohee, president of Mercy Housing California. “Mercy Housing California is honored to have helped bring this vision to life, and to continue supporting residents in their daily lives through the care and presence of our onsite team. We believe everyone deserves a home like The Kelsey Civic Center, where they can feel seen, supported, and truly part of something bigger.”

The project received $57 million in state funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program and the California Housing Accelerator Fund. Additional support came from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and local and philanthropic partners.