The changes that have been planned at Sunnydale for over a decade are fully in motion this season. In March, just weeks before the first phase of demolition of the aging housing stock, residents and partners gathered at newly built residence 290 Malosi to celebrate its dedication and welcome a new chapter for the southeastern San Francisco neighborhood.

290 Malosi is home to 167 families, most of whom recently relocated there after living in Sunnydale for many years. Two apartments were designed with extra space to support community-serving daycare businesses, and one of these is operated by Jocelyn, a 290 Malosi resident and entrepreneur who spoke at the event on March 14.

“This community has gone through so much, and it’s been amazing to see how we embrace that change,” said Jocelyn, who spoke to the challenges and opportunities that come with living in a neighborhood undergoing a major transformation. “Being able to do that here has brought so much of embracing one another’s differences and allowing each personality to be themselves, whether we’re Hispanic, Asian, Black. Bringing those traditions as well, and highlighting them – that’s what 290 Malosi has done so far, and I hope they can continue to do that for the next buildings.”

“I see a lot of children being able to safely play outside here, and to tell their parents, ‘Hey, I’m going to go outside,’ and their parents are comfortable and secure with that,” Jocelyn added. “Bringing that here, to this community that very much needs it, has been so inspiring, and that’s why I’m very excited and honored to open my own small, in-home daycare where my main goal is to allow every child to be a child.”

More than Just a Building

290 Malosi was co-developed by Mercy Housing California (MHC) and Related California as part of San Francisco’s Sunnydale HOPE SF partnership, a community-led initiative designed to create vibrant, well-supported neighborhoods while preventing the displacement of current residents. The 167 apartment homes at 290 Malosi include one-for-one affordable replacement homes for longtime residents who relocated from aging public housing at Sunnydale.

“This is delivering on our ongoing commitment to support Sunnydale with housing and a community that the people of this neighborhood deserve and are proud to call home,” said Mayor London Breed in a statement, underscoring the support of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development in moving Sunnydale forward. “We have a lot of work to do and more housing to build all across the entire city, but as we do, we will continue to deliver on the promise of HOPE SF with projects like this.”

The completion of 290 Malosi marks the conclusion of the first phase of Sunnydale’s multi-year transformation, including affordable residence Casala and major infrastructure updates. For more than a decade, Sunnydale residents have participated in the creation and evolution of a revitalization plan prioritizing racial equity, affordable housing, job opportunities, community safety, and youth services. 290 Malosi is the first residential building developed through HOPE SF that is located on the footprint of the original Sunnydale site. The completion of this first phase represents an exciting new chapter for Sunnydale and as well as years of hard work and collaborative planning coming to fruition.

“We all deserve to live in quality housing, in a safe neighborhood that provides everything families need to thrive,” said Ramie Dare, MHC Director of Real Estate Development. “This exciting new chapter for Sunnydale shows what’s possible when residents and community partners come together to create equitable, vibrant San Francisco neighborhoods.”

A Collaborative Celebration

At the dedication event, officials who supported and shepherded the Sunnydale HOPE SF initiative weighed in on the new community’s impact.

“290 Malosi is an example of how we are always stronger when we work together. We are proud to be working with the Mayor, Supervisor Walton, the City of San Francisco, San Francisco Housing Authority, and our partner, Mercy Housing California, on this latest affordable housing development at Sunnydale HOPE SF,” said Ann Silverberg, CEO of Related California Nor Cal Affordable and Northwest Divisions. “Related California is committed to making Sunnydale a more equitable and vibrant community and we are pleased to see the completion of this phase.”

“The realization of a promise to residents to live in new, modernized units is only the beginning. Childcare, space for entrepreneurial growth, and more enhanced development underway providing a community center and additional retail space will deliver Sunnydale residents a community to grow, age in place and further develop their own community while remaining a member of it,” said Tonia Lediju, Ph.D., CEO of the Housing Authority of the City & County of San Francisco.

When the full transformation is complete, all 1,700 Sunnydale residents will have a newly constructed affordable apartment home and be able to take advantage of the new neighborhood infrastructure such as retail spaces and services for residents provided by MHC. With the successful completion of a $45 million capital campaign, MHC and Related recently broke ground on the Sunnydale Hub, a new community center and recreation center that will serve the greater Visitacion Valley neighborhood and include a Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco clubhouse, a Wu Yee Children’s Services Early Learning Center, a recreation center operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, landscaped play areas, a welcoming courtyard, a café, and space for fitness and cooking classes, special events and casual community gatherings. Builders will soon break ground on Sunnydale Block 3, the next residential development including 170 spacious, affordable apartment homes above 20,000 square feet of neighborhood-serving commercial space.

290 Malosi was recognized as a 2022 San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deal of the Year Winner and won the silver for the Multifamily, Affordable in the 2022 Best in American Living Awards by the National Association of Home Builders.

Mercy Housing thanks the partners who helped to build, fund, and celebrate 290 Malosi:

• Developers: Mercy Housing California and Related California
• Architect: Levy Design Partners Architects
• General Contractor: Baines/Nibbi Joint Venture
• Property Management: Mercy Housing Management Group
• Resident Services: Mercy Housing California

• Thank you to our financial partners: City of San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, San Francisco Housing Authority, Wells Fargo, the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC), Freddie Mac, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• Thank you to Amy Sullivan for event photography.
• Thank you to Bruce Damonte for architectural photography.
• Thank you to ARC8 for event production. Watch the livestream on YouTube.