Better Homes
Parkmerced was built in the 1940s to meet the housing needs of returning World War II veterans and workers. Its construction incorporated urban planning principles, construction methods, and technologies of the time. Today, Parkmerced is functionally obsolete and its infrastructure is failing.
Among the many problems facing its aging buildings are inadequate access for people with disabilities, un-insulated walls, inefficient fixtures and appliances, material decay, undersized electrical service, water intrusion, and an antiquated plumbing system. Because Parkmerced was built almost entirely at the same time in the 1940s, most of it has been falling apart at the same time today.
Continued Housing Crunch
The high cost of housing in San Francisco is well documented. Making matters worse, over the past 20 years, the City has not built enough housing to keep pace with demand. Many San Franciscans have been forced to leave the City in search of alternatives, increasing the strain on our roadways and the environment. In particular, families have left the City in droves.
As a large neighborhood poised to reinvent itself in the 21st Century, Parkmerced has a unique opportunity to help address San Francisco's acute housing needs and give families a realistic option to stay in the City.
More Houses: Better Neighborhood
By revitalizing Parkmerced, we will improve the quality of life for our residents and neighbors, while also creating a socially diverse, family-oriented neighborhood.
A key to this revitalization will be the addition of about an average of 200 to 300 units per year, over the next 15 to 20 years. These will include a mix of rental and for-sale units. New housing will include a range of styles from town homes to lofts to flats, varying in height from low- to mid-rise buildings. The majority of the new buildings will be three to four stories in height and the tallest proposed new buildings will be of similar height to what's currently at Parkmerced.
All buildings will be built using sustainable construction methods and materials to provide residents cleaner air, more sunlight, fresher water, and energy efficient appliances and heating.
Resident Protection
We will provide all current residents' rent controlled apartments for as long as they choose to live at Parkmerced. In addition, if our plan involves replacement of existing buildings at Parkmerced, any existing resident who lives in a building slated for replacement will be provided a brand new rental unit. The new apartment will be rented at the same rent-controlled rate as their existing apartment prior to demolition (and also subject to the protections against rent increases of the San Francisco Rent Control Ordinance).
These new apartments would be constructed prior to the replacement of existing apartments. This would ensure that existing residents would move only once (if needed) into a new apartment.