A San Francisco public housing project praised by elected officials has been accused of discrimination because it appears to favor seniors from the LGBTQ community — according to a complaint filed by a concerned resident who called the plan “blatantly illegal.”
the A 15-storey residential project The project at 1939 Market Street will provide 187 studio and one-bedroom apartments for low-income LGBTQ seniors, “with design that considers climate and transportation accessibility,” the developers said.
Services run by Openhouse, a pro-LGBTQ nonprofit, will be located nearby.
Construction is expected to begin late this year or early 2027 and last about two years.
The housing proposal has at least $47 million in state funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, and the city owns the land. The city purchased the parcel in 2020 for $12 million and is leasing it to Mercy for $15,000 a month for at least 75 years.
Resident James CarrollHowever, he suggested that an explicit preference for taxpayer-funded development for LGBTQ seniors may run afoul of anti-discrimination laws.
In his complaint shared with The California Post, Carroll called on developers and elected officials to correct their language promoting the project and requested an investigation into whether sexual orientation was an eligibility requirement.
“I will not tolerate discriminatory housing, especially if I’m paying for it with my tax dollars,” Carroll said.
The complaint, filed with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, cited several previous instances in which officials praised the project for helping LGBT seniors.
She pointed to a July post by state Sen. Scott Wiener that said the project would “focus on older adults in the LGBTQ community.” She pointed to a press release from Mayor Daniel Lowry stating that the homes are “designed specifically for service.” [them]“.It has been marked with multiple quotes by developer Mercy Housing and Openhouse indicating a preference for that demographic.
“A reasonable person would interpret this as an admission that this housing provider has a preference for who will live — and who will not live — in this building based on sexual orientation,” Carroll said. “This is blatantly illegal.”
“If you don’t know why, try to imagine if the mayor’s office had said this housing was for heterosexual seniors.”
The Post has reached out to Weiner, the mayor and the city Board of Supervisors for comment.
“Openhouse and Mercy Housing California are committed to full compliance with all applicable fair housing laws, and that 1939 Market is open to all age and income qualified applicants,” a developer employee told Carroll in an email.
The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development acknowledged in April that it could not reserve space for seniors based on gender.
“Neither the city nor the developer can consider sexual orientation or gender identity when renting,” Department of Housing and Development spokeswoman Anne Stanley said Frisk saidAdding, “All rentals will follow standard fair housing and lottery requirements.”
But the spokesperson also said that “targeted outreach is permitted” under the law.
This could include anything from spreading the word in the gay community to a giant rainbow on the side of a building as depicted in renderings of the venue.
Carroll claims the project’s promotion still illegally favors LGBTQ people over others.
“They have already violated the law by indicating a preference based on sexual orientation,” he said.