{"id":411952,"date":"2026-07-25T12:29:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T12:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/411952\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T12:29:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T12:29:20","slug":"sf-affordable-housing-for-lgbt-seniors-accused-of-civil-rights-violation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/411952\/","title":{"rendered":"SF affordable housing for LGBT seniors accused of civil rights violation"},"content":{"rendered":"

A San Francisco public housing<\/a> development praised by elected officials is being accused of discrimination for appearing to preference LGBTQ seniors \u2014 according to a complaint filed by a concerned resident who called the plan \u201cblatantly illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 15-story affordable housing project<\/a> located on 1939 Market Street would offer 187 studios and one-bedroom apartments for low-income LGBTQ seniors<\/a>, developers have said, \u201cwith climate-conscious design and transit access.\u201d<\/p>\n

Services run by Openhouse, a pro-LGBTQ nonprofit, will be nearby.<\/p>\n

A rendering of the 1939 Market Street project. openhousesf.org<\/p>\n

Construction is expected to start late this year or early 2027 and last around two years.<\/p>\n

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 bought the lot in 2020 for $12 million and is leasing it to Mercy at $15,000 a month for at least 75 years.<\/p>\n

Resident James Carroll<\/a>, however, suggested that the taxpayer-funded development\u2019s expressed preference for LGBTQ seniors may run afoul of anti-discrimination laws. <\/p>\n

In his complaint shared with The California Post, Carroll demanded developers and elected officials correct their language promoting the project and asked for an investigation over whether sexual orientation is an eligibility requirement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not tolerate discriminatory housing<\/a>, particularly if I am paying for it with my tax dollars,\u201d Carroll said.<\/p>\n

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The complaint, filed with San Francisco\u2019s Human Rights Commission, noted several past instances where officials have praised the project for helping queer elders.<\/p>\n

It flagged a July post by state Sen. Scott Wiener that the project would \u201cfocus on LGBTQ seniors.\u201d It noted a press release by Mayor Daniel Lurie stating that the homes were specifically \u201cdesigned to serve [them].\u201d It flagged multiple quotes by developer Mercy Housing and Openhouse indicating a preference for that demographic.<\/p>\n

Map plans of the Market Street project. ABC7<\/p>\n

\u201cAny reasonable person would interpret this as an admission that this housing provider has a preference for who will\u2014and who will not\u2014live in this building based on sexual orientation,\u201d Carroll said. \u201cThis is blatantly illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t see why, try to imagine if the mayor\u2019s office had said this housing were for heterosexual seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Post reached out to Wiener, the mayor and city board of supervisors for comment. <\/p>\n

A staffer for the developer told Carroll in an email that \u201cOpenhouse and Mercy Housing California are committed to full compliance with all applicable fair housing laws, and 1939 Market is open to all age- and income-eligible applicants.\u201d<\/p>\n

More renderings of the project. ABC7<\/p>\n

The Mayor\u2019s Office of Housing and Community Development had acknowledged in April it cannot reserve space for seniors based on sexuality. <\/p>\n

\u201cNeither the city nor the developer can consider sexual orientation or gender identity in leasing,\u201d MOHCD spokesperson Anne Stanley told The Frisc<\/a>, adding \u201call leasing will follow standard fair-housing and lottery requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the spokesperson also said \u201ctargeted outreach is allowed\u201d under the law. <\/p>\n

That could include anything from spreading the word to the queer community to the giant rainbow on the side of the building as shown in renderings of the place.<\/p>\n

Caroll claims the promotion of the project still unlawfully preferences LGBTQ people over others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve already broken the law by indicating their preference based on sexual orientation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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