October 16, 2018 (San Francisco) Mercy Housing and Mayor London Breed celebrated the opening of 190 affordable family apartments in Natalie Gubb Commons.  The affordable homes were developed as part of the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area, spearheaded by the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII).  Natalie Gubb Commons is part of a mixed-income, joint venture between Mercy Housing California (MHC) and Golub Companies LLC. The combined site also includes 409 market-rate homes.

“With another 190 fully affordable homes opening today at Natalie Gubb Commons, we are keeping our residents in the city they call home,” said Mayor London Breed. “The Transbay neighborhood continues to be a shining example of what a mixed-income, vibrant urban community can look like in the heart of San Francisco.”

Doug Shoemaker, President of MHC, complimented the work of the City and OCII in the creation of the redevelopment plan. “By requiring that 30% of all new homes in the project area are affordable, San Francisco leaders are ensuring that San Francisco’s newest neighborhood is mixed-income for generations to come. This is particularly important here because residents enjoy unparalleled access to transit through the new Salesforce Terminal, BART and eventually high-speed rail”

David Arpi, Natalie Gubb’s widower, shared some emotional words with the event’s attendees about his late wife Natalie Gubb. Natalie was among the true leaders of the affordable housing world, having been instrumental in drafting the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) in 1986, which is the building block of nearly all affordable housing development since that time.  Along with her many professional accomplishments, these new homes are a testament to Natalie’s legacy of spirited advocacy, unrivaled knowledge, and generous friendship. This development was among the last projects that Natalie worked on with Mercy Housing before she passed away.

Barbara Gualco of Mercy Housing worked on this project that would come to be named Natalie Gubb Commons. “This project is right in the middle of the action, next to the ‘big guys’ – Salesforce Tower, Millennium Tower, and the Transbay Terminal. You can see them all when you stand on the roof. This community with her name on it is right there with them. She would have loved that.”