Small Sites Program

What is the Small Sites Program?

MEDA is keeping households in San Francisco through the purchase and rehabilitation of buildings where long-term, vulnerable tenants might otherwise be evicted. Long-term financing for the purchase and rehabilitation is from the City and County of San Francisco’s Small Sites Program. 

What properties can we buy via the Small Sites Program?

  • The official City program guidelines are for four- to 25-unit buildings; however, we can request exemptions for smaller buildings, or those that are a bit larger.
  • MEDA is looking in the Mission District and nearby, and can purchase buildings with commercial spaces.

MEDA-owned Small Sites properties:

Portfolio to date:

Vivienda Adelante – 380 San Jose (4 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 642 Guerrero (4 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 344 Precita (4 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3840 Folsom (4 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 1500 Cortland (4 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3329 20th (10 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3800 Mission (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 269 Richland (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 63 Lapidge (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3198 24th (13 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 2217 Mission (9 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 1015 Shotwell (10 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 1411 Florida (7 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 19 Precita (3 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 35 Fair (4 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 305 San Carlos (14 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3353 26th (11 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 60 28th (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 2093 Mission (17 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 65 Woodward (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 654 Capp (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 4830 Mission (26 units) – in Excelsior
Vivienda Adelante – 520 Shrader (7 units)(co-developer) – in Haight
Vivienda Adelante – 3544 Taraval (6 units) – in Sunset
Vivienda Adelante – 3156 Mission (9 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 369 3rd Ave. (13 units) – in Richmond
Vivienda Adelante – 239 Clayton (8 units) – in NoPa
Vivienda Adelante – 2260 Mission (7 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3225 24th (6 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 3254 23rd (11 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 1382 30th Ave. (4 units) – in Sunset
Vivienda Adelante – 566 Natoma (5 units) – in SoMa
Vivienda Adelante – 2676 Folsom (8 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 1353 Stevenson (7 units)
Vivienda Adelante – 168 Sickles (12 units)(co-developer) – in Outer Mission
Vivienda Adelante – 300 Ocean (8 units) – in Midtown Terrace
Vivienda Adelante – 40-42 Sycamore (5 units)

How does the Small Sites Program work?

  • MEDA can buy the properties and keep the current tenants, as long as the tenants are in good standing with the existing leases.
  • The building should mostly be low- to moderate income households. 
  • Tenants are part of the purchase, so we work with tenants to ensure the purchase is successful.
  • City program will provide a $300,000-$375,000 subsidy per unit to ensure rents stay affordable to current tenants.
  • The City subsidy also finances the rehabilitation of the building to quality housing.

For what are we looking in a possible Small Sites Program purchase?

  • Buildings about to go on the market or on the market right now.
  • Buildings with existing tenants, of which a number are low- to moderate-income households.
  • Buildings in the Mission or Mission adjacent.
  • We prioritize buildings where families with children live.
  • We often buy buildings with soft-story retrofit seismic work or having long-term repair needs.

What do tenants in possible Small Sites Program purchases need to do?

  • Tenants need to agree that the nonprofit(s) would be the new landlord(s).
  • Tenants must provide information about income to meet City goals of helping low- to moderate-income families in place.

What do we want owners to do?

  • If you are an owner interested in being part of the solution of keeping long-time San Francisco residents in their homes, sell your building to MEDA.
  • MEDA will offer a fair market price.
  • MEDA has purchased from over 20 building owners, many of whom had owned their buildings for over a decade. Such owners agreed to a fair market price and a longer escrow, with the assurance that MEDA would keep their buildings affordable for current and future residents.
  • MEDA can get into escrow to purchase the building because we know that you, as owners, want to sell, plus longtime tenants would like us to become the owners. We purchase 96 percent of the buildings for which we are in escrow.

What we would love to make the Small Sites Program truly work?

  • Tenants who know their housing rights.
  • Tenants who want to stay in the building.
  • Tenants who advocate with MEDA for more funds from City to purchase other buildings where tenants are at risk of eviction.
  • Owners willing to sell to MEDA so that their tenants can stay in place.

If you are a vulnerable tenant interested in having MEDA possibly buy your apartment’s property, or if you are a building owner who wants to keep your tenants in place via the Small Sites Program, please call (415) 282-3334 ext. 101.