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Groundbreaking held for Mary Helen Rogers senior housing; project to supply 100 units, 20% set for formerly homeless
Summary
City, redevelopment and nonprofit partners broke ground on the Mary Helen Rogers Senior Community Housing, a 100‑unit affordable senior housing development financed with tax‑increment funds, tax credits and private financing; partners pledged supportive services on site
City leaders, developers and community partners gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Mary Helen Rogers Senior Community Housing in the Western Addition, a 100‑unit affordable senior housing project that organizers said will reserve 20 percent of units for people who were formerly homeless.
Mayor Edwin Lee, who attended the ceremony, said the project represents a “labor of love” and highlighted cross-community collaboration among Asian‑American and African‑American leaders, the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), Tabernacle Community Development Corporation and Urban Core LLC.
Gordon Chin, executive director of the Chinatown Community Development Center, thanked partner agencies and financial backers and described the project as the result of long-standing neighborhood work. Mohammed Natheri, chief operating officer for Urban Core LLC, noted the project’s funders, including Mission National Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Hudson Housing Capital and Opportunity Fund, and thanked Cahill Construction and architect HKIT for development work.
Fred Blackwell, executive director of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, described Mary Helen Rogers as a longtime community advocate and said redevelopment tools and tax‑increment financing helped make the project possible. Board President David Chu and District Supervisor Jane Kim also spoke at the event.
Silicon Valley Bank’s Christine Carr said the project earned one of four 9 percent federal low‑income housing tax credits awarded in the Bay Area in the most recent funding round — an allocation project leaders said was critical to the financing package. Organizers said public funds from the Redevelopment Agency were leveraged with private financing and tax credits to assemble the capital stack.
Speakers repeatedly framed the development as affordable senior housing “wrapped around services,” with references to the project’s service model and connections to nearby senior facilities including Parkview Terrace. Project partners emphasized onsite supportive services and neighborhood connections as part of the project’s mission.
Family members of Mary Helen Rogers attended and spoke at the ceremony about Rogers’s long advocacy in the Western Addition. Community and redevelopment commissioners and former elected officials also attended to celebrate the milestone.
Project partners and funders named in remarks include Chinatown Community Development Center, Tabernacle Community Development Corporation, Urban Core LLC, San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, Silicon Valley Bank, Mission National Bank, Hudson Housing Capital, Cahill Construction and HKIT (architect). The ceremony included clergy and family tributes and a public presentation of the project's goals and funding structure.
