Affordable Housing Activists Declare Victory Against 'Monster In The Mission' Development
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- It's a fight being played out all over the Bay Area: longtime tenants being danger of kicked out, to make room for new developments. Some activists have declared victory against a project being dubbed the "Monster in the Mission," but the developer says, not so fast.
The project, which consists of 340 units of primarily luxury housing, has become the face of the affordability crisis in San Francisco.
Patrick Mannass was happy to hear the Monster is in trouble. "I'm on a fixed income. And there's just no place for me to live here," he told KPIX 5.
Mannass lives in a hotel next to the planned project at 16th and Mission, in a 10 by 10 cramped hotel room that would go for $1,000 a month if he left. He pays half of that.
"It's probably the lowest priced place in the Mission like this. It's kept fairly clean," Mannass said.
The project missed a planning deadline and is now in litigation, which many believe it's the death knell for what has been dubbed the "Monster in the Mission."
"We have made this site completely toxic when it comes to building market rate and luxury condos here," said Chirag Bhakta of the Mission SRO Collaborative.
Activists are taking credit. They want a San Francisco where all incomes, all classes of people can live. Fighting those who believe the market should determine the landscape, that people have earned the right to do with their money what they can.
"We have enough luxury condos, we have enough apartment that are going for $3,000 to $5,000 in rent. What we don't have is deeply affordable and affordable housing," Bhakta said.
An attorney representing the developer issued a response to KPIX 5 Monday night, saying they remain fully committed to the development of 1979 Mission and notwithstanding the dispute, they are moving forward with the project.
