Pax Ahimsa Gethen

I know there's a huge amount of red tape and work involved in converting commercial space to livable housing, but it's still shameful to me that we have so many retail and office spaces sitting vacant for years while so many homeless people are living and dying on our streets.

https://missionlocal.org/2024/01/mission-storefront-vacancies-map/

#SanFrancisco

You’re not imagining it. There are 56 vacant storefronts on Mission.

While vacancies were down from a post-pandemic high in 2021, merchants and realtors agreed the commercial corridor remained in a slump.

Mission Local
Jan 31, 2024 at 10:54pmWeb
Show threadGdStPeteFeb 3, 2024
@funcrunch and @pax Ahimsa Gergen:
8 years ago I did affordable housing/commercial lending for the city of Minneapolis, there& now in St Pete, Fl I see the same thing. So sad because there are older, underutilized, or vacant former commercial spaces that could be repurposed! Yet due to lack of creative thinking by electeds, & uleaders in housing and zoning, no one wants to change the way “ they’ve always done things”. Now with higher interest rates banks, don’t want to think outside the box.
Show threadGdStPeteFeb 3, 2024

@funcrunch @paxAhismaGergen :

I know foundations like Ford, Kresge, to a small degree Minneapolis Fdtn; all make long-term mission grants that can be used as a down payment equity for cooperatively owned/financed housing. I’ve met with ED’s of local community foundations. All say it’s a nice concept but no one wants to be the first in this area.
Maybe creative leaders in San Fran area will use the ‘Natl Coop-Bank’ HQd in DC! & then show the nation there are other ways to finance housing!