100% affordable senior housing facility re-opens in the Tenderloin

100% affordable senior housing facility re-opens in the TenderloinRibbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the re-opening of Sala Burton Manor. | Photos: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline
Carrie Sisto
Published on August 22, 2018

Yesterday, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) celebrated the grand re-opening of an affordable senior living center in the heart of the city, which recently underwent a complete renovation.

Sala Burton Manor offers 89 supportive housing units for 100 seniors and residents with disabilities. The residents were relocated nearby during the renovation process, and brought back into their same units upon the building's completion, according to TNDC.

Entrance to Sala Burton Manor (430 Turk St.)

The building also includes office space occupied by the San Francisco Housing Authority. 

In 2015, as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, the Housing Authority sold the residential portion of the building at 430 Turk St. (between Larkin and Hyde) to TNDC for renovation.

The transfer of ownership allowed TNDC to finance the building's improvements, leveraging other funds from the city, federal tax credits, and private investments, according to the Mayor's Office. 

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi offers remarks to community members and residents at the grand re-opening of Sala Burton Manor.

The grand re-opening yesterday included a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by TNDC that featured remarks from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Mayor London Breed, who were formative in the creation of the RAD program.

Breed, who grew up in one of the city's public housing facilities, told community members gathered in the building's new community room that one of her top priorities as mayor is ensuring that people in need can live in dignity. 

Mayor Breed addresses attendees of yesterday's re-opening event.

In 2013, the late Mayor Ed Lee launched a new effort to improve the city’s public housing. TNDC was one of several organizations selected to renovate five existing buildings under the RAD program; Sala Burton Manor is the first property to have its renovations completed by TNDC.

The facility at 430 Turk St. is named after California Representative Sala Burton, who succeeded her husband Phillip Burton in office after his sudden death in 1983. She served for the remainder of her life and was succeeded by Pelosi in 1987.

While TNDC holds the title to Sala Burton Manor, it is not the owner of the building, TNDC chief executive officer Don Falk told attendees of yesterday's event.

"We are stewards of affordable housing that will be here for decades and generations to come," Falk added.

TNDC CEO Don Falk addresses attendees of the building's grand re-opening.

The project was funded in part due to a $19.1 million tax-exempt construction loan from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, along with more than $1.8 million in city funding, according to the Mayor's office.

Bank of America has provided about $2.2 billion in financing support for RAD projects in San Francisco, community development banking national executive Maria Berry told attendees at yesterday's event. 

440 Turk St., next door to Sala Burton Manor.

The transaction between the Housing Authority and TNDC underwent some controversy last year, when the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) floated proposed plans to offer on-site homeless services, including showers and laundry facilities.

As we reported last year, the sale of the residential portion of 430 Turk St. included an additional 15,000 square feet in the building next door for TNDC to use for its own offices.

The remaining 25,000 square feet at 440 Turk St. will be used by HSH for its administrative offices, and to serve as a public access point for all of the city’s homelessness services. Final plans for HSH’s administrative space are still under development, and would have to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.