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Committee backs temporary navigation center at 1515 South Van Ness; staff cites urgent need and $400,000 retrofit estimate
Summary
Committee recommended forwarding an ordinance authorizing an agreement with LMC San Francisco I Holdings LLC to operate a temporary navigation center at 1515 South Van Ness; staff said the site would house about 120 people at a time, could serve up to 300 individuals, and retrofit costs were estimated around $400,000.
Department staff and Sam Dodge of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing told the committee the city faces a public-health and safety crisis in the Mission and that Lennar Multifamily offered the property at 1515 South Van Ness as a temporary navigation center while the developer awaits permits to build permanent housing. Staff cited a 2015 point-in-time count of about 6,500 unsheltered individuals citywide, and said approximately 1,000 were living in tents with roughly half of those in the Mission neighborhood.
Dodge said site upgrades to bring in temporary trailers with bathrooms and showers, and to complete life-safety repairs, were in the neighborhood of $400,000. He said the site has an operational sprinkler system and a layout conducive to temporary use. Staff described a goal of opening by early May, and discussed transition plans including coordinating with a Salvation Army intake site at 520 Jesse Street to support client triage and placement when the temporary use ends.
On capacity, Dodge said the center would house approximately 120 people at any one time and could serve an estimated 300 individuals over the period. Staff emphasized that they would not discharge people from the program back onto the streets and that some upgrades and equipment (trailers, showers, cots) could be redeployable depending on lease or purchase decisions.
Rob Poole of the Housing Action Coalition spoke in support of the site and commended collaboration between Lennar, city departments and Supervisor Ronan's office. Supervisor Katie Tang moved to send the ordinance to the full Board with a positive committee report; the motion carried without objection.
