Brownstone Shared Housing, a company that offers tiny, cubby-style beds in New York, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, recently secured city approval to rent out sleeping pods for $700 a month at a former downtown bank building at 12 Mint Plaza, as the San Francisco Chronicle first reported. The modestly priced accommodations are a rarity in a city where typical rents soar between $3,000 and $4,000 monthly, though the price per square foot of private space might not stack up to normal SF living.
Brownstone's CEO, James Stallworth, described a trying process with the city's Planning Department, noting that it was unresponsive for around nine months. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he detailed the light changes required to meet regulations, including a stove in the communal kitchen and adjustments to front door access. Despite the red tape, Brownstone's project, which allowed 13 residents to continue their stay amidst the compliance saga, was simpler than typical residential conversions, which often entail major renovations.
Residents, mainly tech entrepreneurs seeking to save on living expenses to bolster their startup ventures, praised the accommodation's affordability and convenience. In a statement obtained by ABC7, one resident, Ben, emphasized how such housing solutions could have previously curbed the exodus of early-stage startups from San Francisco to more affordable cities. Another resident, who is originally from China and recently graduated, spoke to communal ambition among those sharing these living spaces, aiming to create impactful endeavors.
The approval for Brownstone's current pods came after the company addressed several city concerns, including a non-compliant front entry lock and installing a shower stall. However, according to ABC7, a Notice of Violation remains unresolved due to an outstanding issue regarding the shower stall's building permit. Stallworth shared expansion aspirations, revealing plans to open a space five times the size of the current one and looking beyond San Francisco to markets in Los Angeles and New York. Notwithstanding the upfront challenges, Brownstone leverages the pod concept – smaller than traditional bedrooms, akin to Japan's capsule hotels – to keep costs down, differentiating itself from other housing startups that have struggled or failed in recent years.
