California Construction News staff writer
City officials celebrated a major milestone in the Sunnydale HOPE SF redevelopment effort Friday, opening two new affordable housing buildings and breaking ground on two others in what Mayor Lurie called a critical step toward rebuilding one of San Francisco’s largest public housing sites.
The grand opening of the Amani and Nia buildings brings 170 new affordable homes to Sunnydale, part of a plan to replace 775 aging public housing units with more than 1,700 modern apartments. Construction also began on Blocks 7 and 9, which will add another 184 units.
“With these four buildings, we are adding more than 350 new homes for low-income families and longtime HOPE SF residents,” Lurie said. “Our administration must continue to build housing so families can put down roots in San Francisco.”
The HOPE SF initiative — billed as the first major public-housing redevelopment in the nation centered on resident leadership and non-displacement — aims to transform Sunnydale into a mixed-income neighborhood with new parks, retail and community services.
The Amani and Nia buildings, formerly Blocks 3A and 3B, are reserved for households earning 30% to 60% of area median income, with 75% of units set aside for existing Sunnydale residents. Amani includes 79 apartments and more than 20,000 square feet of commercial and community space, including a grocery store, food hall, public health wellness center and child-care facility. Nia adds 90 units and ground-floor community space, along with shared parking for 134 vehicles.
“This is not just construction. It is a promise kept and a community rising together,” District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton said. “Our families deserve quality homes, safe neighborhoods and a future rooted right here.”
Block 7 will include 89 units and a landscaped courtyard, community room and bike storage. Block 9, a five-story development at Sunnydale Avenue and Santos Street, will offer 95 deeply affordable homes supported by a Section 8 project-based voucher contract.
The project is being led by Mercy Housing California and Related California alongside the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the San Francisco Housing Authority and community partners.
Funding for the buildings includes nearly $100 million in city financing, backed by voter-approved bonds and housing funds, and more than $83 million from state sources.
The Sunnydale announcement comes as Lurie highlights the city’s broader housing production push. In recent weeks, he has opened affordable developments in central San Francisco, Hunters Point Shipyard and the Outer Sunset, and promoted a “Family Zoning” plan to support new housing for residents with children.
“The opening of Amani and Nia marks both progress and promise,” said Tiffany Bohee, president of Mercy Housing California. “The next phase builds on that momentum, ensuring Sunnydale’s future is as vibrant and resilient as its people.”
