Feature image: The Edwin M. Lee apartments. 图片来源:Bruce Damonte.

California suffers from a housing shortage resulting in low affordability, which forces long commutes for workers and divides our communities. When high-quality housing is made available to households across the income spectrum, and especially to vulnerable populations, residents have lower utility bills, enhanced quality of life, and an improved sense of stability and community.

Two exemplary affordable housing projects are featured in the 2022 Greenbuild tour program that showcase how low-carbon, equitable housing is achievable in the Bay Area.

"Envisioning a Future for All: All-Electric Equity in the Mission District"

Friday, Nov. 4 | 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

The Mission District in San Francisco was historically known as a working-class immigrant gateway community, but as San Francisco experienced rapid growth, it become increasingly unaffordable to low-income families. Casa Adelante at 2060 Folsom came to fruition as the result of community advocacy for affordability and resiliency that began more than 20 years ago.

The project is the first large all-electric, new-construction multifamily housing project in San Francisco that is highly energy-efficient. Casa Adelante is a mixed-use building with 127 permanently affordable units and a rich offering of community-oriented spaces on the ground floor. Sustainable features include innovative stormwater management and a very energy-efficient design that enables the building to surpass Architecture 2030 goals for energy use intensity.

The residents make the most of the urban park adjacent to the site, which provides opportunities for physical activity and community connection—two of the project’s primary health goals. Casa Adelante provides on-site child care, as well as housing and services for Transition Age Youth, with a portion of the units reserved for this specific population at reduced rents.

The Rev. Norman Fong, the executive director of Chinatown Community Development Center, said of the project, “I’m excited that some of the units will house transitional-age youth on the verge of adulthood, who are at risk of falling through the cracks into homelessness, and it is wonderful that it will also include space for childcare and other community organizations on site.”

"Bridging Communities in Mission Bay: Resilient, Affordable Family and Veteran Housing"

Friday, Nov. 4 | 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

The Mission Bay neighborhood in San Francisco was originally a salt marsh and tidal lagoon before it was filled with debris and earthquake refuse beginning in the late 1800s. The area then transitioned to industrial use, which gradually fell into neglect by the 1970s. Following two decades of various proposals, a large-scale, long-term redevelopment plan was adopted in the late 1990s. The plan called for 28% of authorized housing development to be affordable and provided projects access to subsidies sourced from tax revenues generated by the neighborhood plan.

The Edwin M. Lee Apartments, named after the late San Francisco Mayor Lee, the son of a veteran who dedicated his career to affordable housing and ending veteran homelessness, is a successful example. The building is San Francisco’s first residential community for low-income families and veterans who formerly experienced homelessness. The apartment building has 119 units with ground-floor support services, including a community kitchen operated by a local nonprofit, Swords to Plowshares, that serves meals to residents and community members.

The project’s climate-responsive design and layout enables families and veterans to commune in the shared gardens and common areas, which restore drought-resistant, habitat-friendly native planting, as well as other species appropriate for the Mission Bay microclimate. A large photovoltaic array that cascades over the building provides 90% of the common area’s electrical load, including electric vehicle charging stations.

Before his untimely death, Mayor Lee remarked, “Affordable housing is at the core of equity issues that we face in our city; for our veterans, housing is at the heart of a big 'thank you' for all their years of sacrifice.”

The 2022 Greenbuild tour program features 19 tours, including sustainable wineries in Napa/Sonoma and many more world-class projects. Did you know you can attend a tour even if you're not attending the conference? Grab an expo hall pass using registration code "HOSTCOMMITEEGUEST," then add on one or more tours. Space is limited, so register today.

Register for a Greenbuild tour

绿色建筑之旅的焦点:在Mission District和Mission Bay的经济适用房