Potrero Annex Residents Must Relocate to Make Way for Annex Demolition

In February, the San Francisco Housing Authority issued a state-required 90-day notice evicting 66 households living in 700-915 Missouri Street, 1-75 Turner Terrace, and 1-97 Watchman Way. The buildings, part of Potrero Annex, are scheduled to be demolished by the fall, after EVE Community Village, formerly known as Potrero Block B, has been constructed.

The Authority-issued notice identifies three potential pathways for dislodged households. They can move to EVE, located at 1801 25th Street, expected to be occupiable by June.  If a suitably sized EVE unit isn’t available, the family can work with the Authority to attempt to find offsite HOPE SF housing. Or they can request a Section 8 housing voucher, which’d cover a portion of the rent for market rate units. 

“We will have more clarity once a general contractor is on board for the demolition and relocation details are finalized,” said a representative from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD). 

EVE Community Village will consist of 155 residences. One hundred and seventeen are reserved as replacements for present Annex residents, with another 38 affordable units will be offered to those who qualify, with a preference for current or former Potrero Annex-Terrace occupants. There’ll be 40 one-bedrooms, 53 two-bedrooms, 51 three-bedrooms, and 11 four-bedrooms. An additional two units will be reserved for on-site staff. 

In response to the notice, Annex tenants asked Potrero Hill resident, Shervon Hunter, executive director of Stand in Peace Inc., a San Francisco nonprofit, for help navigating the process. Hunter has been advocating on behalf of Annex-Terrace residents for 20 years, working to remediate maintenance issues and garner support for survivors of domestic and gun violence. 

“ Our expertise is creating spaces of safety for safe and livable housing,” said Hunter, who indicated that residents, many of whom hadn’t received the 90-day notices, are confused about the relocation process.

“This is true particularly regarding the different types of vouchers, the timing and logistics of the move, and what to expect if they opt not to move into the new building. It’s clear that we need to do more than just provide information; we need to ensure residents can digest it, ask questions, and have it reinforced through multiple touchpoints,” Hunter wrote in an email to Shanti Project, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that’s under contract with MOHCD to assist Annex residents with relocation.

Hunter recommended that the Authority, Bridge Housing – which is developing EVE – and Shanti Project host technical assistance and capacity-building workshops, trainings, or guided conversations to assist Annex inhabitants, with sessions conducted in a step-by-step format, ample space for questions, real-life examples, and follow-up resources.

To be eligible to relocate to EVE a household must be in good standing; they can’t have been previously evicted or legally served with a complaint or summons. 

About 40 Annex residents attended a March meeting hosted by Bridge Housing, with staff from Shanti Project, MOHCD, and the Authority present. One asked whether undocumented immigrants would be able to secure new housing.

“All leased households will continue to be offered the same opportunities and rent calculation will not change,” said Authority staff. 

According to Hunter, Aqil Algere, a Peer Advocate Care Team navigator, represented Shanti Project at the meeting. 

“He didn’t know the answers to the questions. He said he would take the questions back to Shanti Project’s office to get information. Then we didn’t hear back from him. Residents who are not in good standing are concerned they will end up unhoused,” said Hunter.

Shanti Project referred all View questions to MOHCD and the Authority.

Annex residents may be hesitant to move into EVE because it’ll house both former Annex and Terrace residents; in the past there’s been violence between inhabitants of the complexes.

“Everyone is aware of the historical violence and its impacts, as we have been in other HOPE SF projects. The City, along with our on-site service providers, take resident safety very seriously. It will continue to work to understand each household’s concerns while we identify options and solutions that will support their overall health, wellbeing and safety,” said a MOHCD representative, who asked not to be named.

Annex residents are also concerned that landlords won’t accept Section 8. It can take two years or more to find a property willing to accept a voucher. When SFHA opened its rental assistance waitlist in 2023, with 6,500 spots available, more than 60,000 applications were received. 

“If a person cannot get new housing by the time they are set to leave the Annex, they are worried that will push them to the end of the line to get public housing again,” said Edward Hatter, executive director of the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House (the Nabe).  

“We have referred residents to our community-based access points to access the homelessness response system, including prevention, shelter, and long-term affordable housing. We will also be hosting onsite service events in May to bring service providers directly to residents and provide onsite housing assessments for residents. The goal is to connect people with services and housing resources before they must leave the Annex,” said a representative for the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. 

“I will make sure residents have what they need for a successful transition,” said District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton. 

March meeting participants asked to tour EVE before deciding where to move. MOHCD said it’s working to ensure residents can safely visit the building while it’s under construction, with floor plans and a brief video available. 

In 2018 Annex households were assigned a lottery number that determines the sequence for them to be placed in an EVE unit. Households with legitimate leases will be provided with relocation benefits based on a cost schedule that differs depending on unit size; $780 is provided to relocate from a one-bedroom unit. 

Bell Properties took over Annex-Terrace management in March. The switch in property management companies occurred after years of allegations of problems with squatting, fires, and other concerns under the former management’s supervision. The Office of the City Attorney of San Francisco found no evidence to substantiate the claims. The View contacted Bell Properties multiple times to ask about its managerial plans with no response.

“This is likely the first relocation experience for many residents in decades,” said Hunter. “We must approach this moment with care, cultural humility, and responsiveness. Without this, we risk perpetuating misinformation, fear, and potential displacement; something I know we all want to avoid.”  

“I and some of the (Annex) residents have been requesting reports on the hiring status of the project for the past year and getting no answers,” said Hatter. “At this (March) meeting, when the question of local hire came up, one of the contractor’s staff got busy texting someone…then announced that the project had 20.75 percent local hire compliance with no proof to back up the statement.” 

Mikayla Carter, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) senior communications specialist, was unaware of any employment inquiries from Annex residents. 

“That said, OEWD is a large organization, so I can’t speak definitively for every corner of the department. No OEWD representatives were present (at the March meeting). OEWD provides Bridge Housing with the workforce data, and Bridge Housing incorporates that information into its public meetings,” said Carter. 

Carter said that since January 1, 2024, 11 Potrero Annex or Terrace residents have worked on EVE.  Bridge Housing didn’t respond to questions regarding local hires. 

Hatter said EVE construction has triggered parking problems, with the 1101 Connecticut Street garage intermittently blocked. 

“(This occurs via) truck unloading or on standby to unload preventing them from getting to work,” said Hatter. 

Hatter also said there were concerns about high asbestos dust levels in February and March. 

“There were no early notifications of these events and no answer when asked why,” said Hatter. 

The elevated levels occurred during construction of EVE sidewalks. In a written statement Bridge Housing acknowledged that there were “slightly elevated levels” of naturally occurring asbestos dust recorded on February 27 and March 21. Annex, like many structures on the Hill, sits on top of serpentine rock, which contains asbestos. 

“Consistent with construction mitigation protocols, workers immediately sprayed the affected areas with water to reduce dust levels. The exceedance was indicated by signage on the site visible to the surrounding community. Neighbors were informed of these short-term exceedances at the next…meeting held on March 27,” stated Bridge Housing.