Project Description: Mission Neighborhood Centers’ has been a pillar in the San Francisco Mission District for over 50 years. In the quest for true community development, Mission Neighborhood Centers believes that there are two critical components. The first component, human development, has been the focus of the organization and has provided child development services, a variety of programs for youth and a wide range of senior programs such as social, educational and recreational activities that target low-income and functionally impaired seniors. As part of Mission Neighborhood Centers’ stewardship, it will convert its under-utilized real property located at 3001-3007 24th Street and 3-5 Balmy Street to better serve the children, youth and seniors of the Mission District. To accomplish this, MNC has begun the initial predevelopment step and entitlement work, and then because it is a social service provider, it will collaborate with an experienced non-profit developer to build Casa De La Mision. Casa De La Misión will be a senior-affordable, for-rent, H.U.D. Section 202, mixed-use, transit-oriented-development. The project will contain 32 studio units and eight (8) 1-Bedroom apartments above community space on the ground floor and basement that will house current MNC programs. Project Need: According to the San Francisco General Plan, June 2010 Draft II, the 2000 Census counted 136,369 or 18% of San Francisco’s population as 60 years or older. San Francisco’s elderly population is expected to grow to 173,200 by 2010 and 279,800 by 2030; this growth is consistent with national trends. Senior citizens have different housing needs especially as they develop health problems or experience decreased mobility. The 2000 Census estimated that 23% of persons 65 and older have mobility or self-care limitations. The City’s Long Term Care Pilot Project Task Force estimates that the city must develop a minimum 1,500 units of affordable supportive housing. Older and disabled adults who require long-term care have a need for a broad range of on-site and off-site services including central dining, transportation services, limited or complete medical care, recreational and other services. For seniors living independently, there is a need for safe and easily maintained dwelling units. Waitlists for such housing can often contain thousands of names and be several years long. Mission Neighborhood Centers’ Casa De La Misión will meet a portion of this dire need in San Francisco. Project Status: MNC and the Casa de la Mision Development Team is currently in the Entitlement Phase of the development project. We have completed the project review meeting with the planning department and plan to begin the environmental review process soon. Other items that occur during this phase are the application for and receipt of permits, securing funding for planning and construction, and conducting site surveys, feasibility surveys, and environmental tests. We will also be conducting a series of community meeting sessions to get community input on the project. Check back soon for a listing of meeting dates, times, and locations. We’d love to hear from you!