Home is where the heart is — and we’re keeping it in San Francisco♥︎

SFCLT acquired 2840–2848 Folsom Street, known as the Pigeon Palace, after outbidding five speculators at public auction. Longtime residents feared eviction when the building was put up for sale following the owner’s incapacitation. Through a public-private partnership involving the City’s Small Sites Program, Boston Private Bank, and residents themselves, SFCLT preserved the building and began critical rehabilitation. In March 2025, SFCLT joined with residents and community members to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Pigeon Palace.

Located in the heart of the Tenderloin, 285 Turk Street is home to 30 households — 95% of whom are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. SFCLT acquired the 40-unit building in January 2022 after decades of vulnerability caused by a loophole that removed it from rent control. Without protections, tenants faced the risk of unchecked rent increases and displacement. Through acquisition, SFCLT converted the vulnerable rental housing into permanently affordable homes, restoring stability and dignity to the community.

SFCLT acquired 2976 23rd Street in May 2014, preserving 14 units of low-cost shared housing in the Mission District. When the building went up for sale, residents feared eviction under the Ellis Act and reached out to SFCLT for help. Working with sellers willing to prioritize tenant stability, SFCLT prevented displacement and began supporting residents in forming a self-managed housing cooperative. While SFCLT holds the land in trust, residents collectively govern and operate the building — ensuring long-term affordability and community control.

In Spring 2017, SFCLT purchased 4042–4048 Fulton Street with support from the Housing Rights Committee, Supervisor Sandra Fewer’s office, and the City’s Small Sites Program. This acquisition marked SFCLT’s first building on the west side of San Francisco, where displacement pressures have been steadily increasing. By partnering with longtime Richmond District residents, SFCLT helped preserve affordability and protect housing stability in a neighborhood experiencing rapid change.

SFCLT’s first project, Columbus United Cooperative, opened in June 2009 at the edge of Chinatown. The 21-unit mixed-use building is now a limited-equity housing cooperative serving primarily low- and very low-income Chinese American families. Originally facing demolition and eviction, tenants organized with SFCLT and community partners to save their homes. Through extensive collaboration, the building was purchased, rehabilitated, and converted into a resident-run cooperative. Today, former tenants are now co-owners, ensuring permanence, dignity, and community stewardship.

SFCLT acquired 308 Turk Street in June 2015, preserving 20 homes in the Tenderloin after years of neglect by an absentee landlord. Tenants had filed more than 200 complaints with the City, resulting in a lawsuit against the owner and widespread concerns about safety and habitability. Through a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development’s Small Sites Program and Enterprise Community Loan Fund, SFCLT stabilized the building and began long-overdue repairs. Residents can now remain in their homes with safety and peace of mind.

In January 2016, SFCLT acquired three properties — 1353–57 Folsom, 70–72 Belcher, and 1684–1688 Grove — preserving a total of 19 rent-controlled homes from displacement. These complex acquisitions highlighted both the difficulty and importance of community preservation work in a competitive real estate market. In partnership with MEDA and others, SFCLT ensured these homes remained permanently affordable, demonstrating the power of collaboration to protect tenants citywide.

SFCLT purchased 568–570 Natoma Street in April 2016 with support from SOMCAN, Supervisor Jane Kim, the City’s Small Sites Program, and Boston Private Bank. The acquisition prevented the displacement of multigenerational South of Market residents and preserved affordability in a neighborhood shaped by working-class communities and cultural organizers. By removing the property from the speculative market, SFCLT ensured long-term housing stability for families rooted in SOMA.

In January 2013, SFCLT acquired 534–536 Natoma Street, preserving five homes at risk of Ellis Act eviction. Community partners in South of Market had long advocated for stabilizing housing in the neighborhood, and this acquisition fulfilled that goal. The property’s preservation serves as a critical strategy to resist speculative pressure and ensure long-term affordability in a rapidly changing area.

SFCLT acquired 966 Oak Street in May 2012, just days before the 10-unit building was scheduled for foreclosure auction. Residents had reached out after facing buyout attempts and owner neglect. Over the course of a year, SFCLT supported tenants through education, organizing, and cooperative formation. In January 2013, the Purple House became SFCLT’s first resident-operated nonprofit housing cooperative — a powerful example of tenant leadership and permanent affordability.

SFCLT acquired 151 Duboce Avenue in December 2014, preserving four affordable rental homes that were at risk of Ellis Act eviction. When residents faced displacement amid rapidly changing market conditions in the Mission, community partners — including Eviction Free SF and the Tenderloin Housing Clinic — reached out to SFCLT for support.. With financing from Clearinghouse CDFI and the City’s Small Sites Acquisition Program, SFCLT ensured long-term affordability and security for the residents who call Duboce home.

SFCLT acquired 1130 Filbert Street in March 2022, preserving four homes in the heart of Russian Hill for longtime tenants, many of whom are seniors. Without intervention, the building would likely have been converted into luxury condos or TICs. Enabled by the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), this acquisition marked SFCLT’s first property in the neighborhood and the first Small Sites purchase in the city’s wealthiest district — proving that community ownership can happen anywhere.

In January 2024, SFCLT acquired 3975–3977 24th Street, its first Small Sites property in Noe Valley. When tenants learned their building was for sale, they organized quickly and persistently to protect their homes. Through sustained advocacy with elected officials and MOHCD, tenants helped secure approval for acquisition. With plans to add an ADU in the future, this project expands affordable housing in a neighborhood where it has long been scarce.

Residents of 320–324 14th Street organized, launched a rent strike, and partnered with SFCLT to protect their homes from displacement. Their collective action resulted in the building’s acquisition and transition toward permanent affordability. Today, the residents are shaping a future rooted in stability, dignity, and shared ownership — a powerful example of tenant power transforming crisis into lasting change.

The residents of 3235 16th Street—artists, school teachers, and families who have lived in their homes for more than two decades, some more than 30 years —are part of the cultural fabric of the Mission District. When they learned their building was slated to be sold, they reached out to SFCLT. Working with the city’s Small Sites Program, SFCLT purchased the building in December 2025, ensuring permanent stability for the long-time residents.