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Mercy Housing, city officials celebrate Natalie Gubb Commons opening, cite housing wins
Summary
Mercy Housing and San Francisco officials marked the opening of Natalie Gubb Commons, a new affordable housing complex, with tributes to the late Natalie Gubb and remarks highlighting neighborhood preference and transit access for residents.
Mercy Housing, city officials and residents on Monday cut the ribbon on Natalie Gubb Commons, a new affordable housing property that officials said expands local housing options and honors long‑time housing advocate Natalie Gubb.
Doug Shoemaker, president of Mercy Housing in California, said the project and nearby developments together will create nearly 190 affordable units in the Transbay area and credited the city partnership for preserving housing opportunities for lower‑income residents. "We're rebuilding it," Shoemaker said of long‑troubled neighborhoods, praising the city for stepping up to help residents remain close to community supports.
Mayor London Breed, who grew up in public housing, framed the project as part of a wider effort to avoid displacement and keep long‑time residents in place. The mayor reiterated neighborhood‑preference policy changes, saying the city has worked to make sure "40% of all new developments would go to the people who actually lived in that community first to avoid displacement." She also said the project includes on‑site childcare and other resident services.
Tim McCann of Wells Fargo, a private investor and lender on the project, told the ceremony the bank provided significant tax‑credit investment and construction financing for the development.
Resident speakers described personal histories tied to the neighborhood. Adrian Karatosa, who said it took six years and more than 20 lottery attempts to get a unit, told the crowd he wanted grocery access and services for neighbors. "This is my 25th lottery, 6 years it took me to get in," he said, and urged planners to consider affordable groceries near the building.
Organizers said the two adjacent Mercy Housing buildings and the commons together expand affordable housing and retail activation at ground level. The event included remarks by community leaders and representatives from the planning and housing offices; tours of the property followed the program.
The project partners said further local programming and operations details, including specific on‑site services and timeline for retail activation, will be handled by Mercy Housing and the project's master tenant in coordination with city agencies.
