“Co-living” scheme succumbs to practicalities of affordability

Build Inc’s cluster of six story buildings at 1532 Harrison, across the street from the SF Eagle, will no longer pursue an unconventional “co-living” arrangement that takes advantage of the city’s “group housing” code provisions, bowing to pressure to provide a more ordinary housing model that comes with the inclusionary housing requirements most housing is already required to provide.  The efficiency-sized units will be replaced with a mixture of studios and 1 and 2 bedroom apartments.

David Baker’s trendy design at 1174 Folsom Street brought the below-market-rate issue to the fore recently when it was found that his client had escaped his BMR obligations by eliminating conventional ovens in otherwise nicely appointed kitchens so that they did not technically qualify as dwelling units. The same would have applied to Build Inc.’s co-living spaces. Supervisor John Avalos has introduced legislation which would close that loophole and Build Inc. saw the writing on the wall.