Housing Facility for Families with Mental Disabilities Gets OK

by Carol Dimmick

San Francisco's first subsidized housing for persons with a mental disability and their families cleared its last hurdle in November when an appeal by a homeowners association intended to block the project was dropped.
Once they realized they were fighting a losing battle, members of the Ocean Beach Homeowners Association withdrew their bid to deny a building permit for the Progress Foundation to erect 14 units of subsidized housing at 770 La Playa St. in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of the Richmond District. The $2.7 million project is expected to break ground in March and will provide subsidized housing to persons with mental disabilities and their families that meet federal qualifications.
The project had met with opposition from neighbors that live nearby in several large condominium complexes. The neighbors are fearful that the new residents will bring an increase in violence, crime and substance abuse to the neighborhood.
One of the most outspoken critics of the project, Dianne Drosnes, acting president of the 150-unit Ocean Beach Homeowners Association, filed the appeal. She blames herself and other neighbors for failing to pay closer attention when the project was first proposed in 1997.
"If we had mounted this drive before they got their permit, it may have been different. Frankly, we just weren't paying attention," Drosnes said.
Drosnes does acknowledge that stopping the project was always an uphill fight because federal, state and local laws prohibit rejecting permits for housing developments based on the disabilities of the potential residents of that housing.
Drosnes also singled out Supervisor Jake McGoldrick for not supporting the neighbors' position in meetings with the project's sponsor, the Progress Foundation.
"He (McGoldrick) took their position on everything," she said.
In a recent interview, McGoldrick was surprised that Drosnes was unhappy with the project, stating that she appeared to be satisfied with the answers the project sponsor gave to questions raised at the meeting. McGoldrick indicated that he strongly supports the project and believes it will not bring a problem element to the community that would be engaging in inappropriate behavior.
"These are families with needs, like everyone else," McGoldrick said.

Neighbors' Fears Nothing New in San Francisco
Facing opposition from neighbors to his projects is something Steve Fields, the executive director of the Progress Foundation, has been battling for 30 years in San Francisco.
Over the years, Fields' agency has provided treatment and support for people with substance abuse and mental illness in several neighborhoods in the City. He maintains there has never been a problem with residents in any housing development his nonprofit agency has built for people with disabilities.
"We faced the same thing with the Eddy Street project in 1997. The neighbors said the same thing, but there has never been a problem," Fields explained.
In partnership with the mayor's office, the SF Department of Human Services and state and federal governments, the foundation has built 11 studio apartments on South Van Ness Avenue, between 23rd and 24th streets, two townhouses at Grove and Webster streets and 19 one-bedroom units at 1098 Eddy St. The secret to the foundation's success could be their strict screening process for choosing potential tenants.
According to Fields, in addition to meeting the low income requirements set by the federal government, potential tenants go through a rigorous interview process to determine their ability to live independently.
The Progress Foundation has a track record of providing effective treatment programs and housing for residents in the City, according to Mitchell Katz, director of the SF Department of Public Health.
"The Progress Foundation has been one of the most responsive and effective organizations working on behalf of persons with mental disabilities in San Francisco for over 30 years," Katz wrote to the Board of Permit Appeals on behalf of the project.
The SF Department of Human Services estimates that approximately 3,000 families are on the waiting list for subsidized housing. Of that amount, Fields says that from 10 percent to 20 percent have an adult that qualifies with a mental disability.
"Our best guess is that from 300 to 400 families will respond by applying," Fields said.
Fields is optimistic that once the project is built Ocean Beach neighbors will see for themselves that the tenants will make good neighbors. "I can tell you without a doubt the people living at La Playa will have no problems," he said.