Gabreila Apartments
Our Project
Completed in 1996, this 29-unit, family-oriented housing development was created as part of the relief and recovery efforts to replace low-income family housing lost in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.
The project includes a total of 75 bedrooms, with a mix of five-, four-, and three-bedroom units designed to accommodate large and extended families.
The development also features a community center—the West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center—which provides supportive services including a tutoring program and a teen center. The project was financed using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and serves low-income families and individuals.
Earthquake Recovery Housing
Gabriela was developed to replace low-income housing lost during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, helping restore critical affordable housing inventory for families displaced by the disaster.
Deeply Affordable Housing
All apartments are 100% affordable, with 40% of units serving households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) and 60% serving households earning up to 60% AMI—ensuring long-term affordability for low-income families.
Prime SOMA Location
Located in San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) district, the project provides families with access to transit, schools, and essential neighborhood services.
Welcoming Multi-generational affordable housing
Completed in 1996, Gabriela is a 29-unit, family-oriented affordable housing development designed to serve large and multi-generational households in San Francisco.
Family-Focused Amenities
The property features a playground, landscaped courtyard, and barbeque area, along with an on-site community center that offers after-school programs and youth-focused services.
Designed for Large Families
The development includes four one-bedroom units, nine two-bedroom units, twelve three-bedroom units, and one five-bedroom unit. With its emphasis on larger apartments, the project is equivalent in family capacity to a 75-unit development.
Facts & Logistics
San Francisco, California
LOCATION
Gabreila Apartments are located on Natoma Steet in the Tenderlion district of San Francisco. Closest to Civic Center Bart, it is located close to the beautiful City Hall, San Francisco Public Library, Davies Symphony Hall and many other attractions.
1996
COMPLETED
Using Low Income Tax Credits, HUD and CDBG funding and partnering with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, we completed Gabreila apartments in 1996.
Residential
CATEGORY
This residential, family oriented project consists of 75 bedrooms, with an emphasis on larger units, in comparison to stusio or 1-2 bedroom apartments.
Significance
Responding to Crisis and Housing Loss
The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake was one of the most devastating natural disasters in Northern California’s history, claiming 63 lives, injuring thousands, and displacing between 3,000 and 12,000 people. The quake caused widespread destruction, damaging more than 2,500 businesses and destroying hundreds of buildings—many of them homes for low-income families.
In the years that followed, San Francisco faced a severe shortage of affordable family housing. By the mid-1990s, the crisis had deepened as federal housing subsidies began to expire, placing nearly 3,000 low-income families at risk of displacement due to rapidly escalating rents. Without these subsidies, rents for some affordable units were projected to triple or even quadruple, forcing many families to leave the city altogether.
At the same time, new housing production had nearly stalled. In 1995, only 162 affordable and low-income units were built citywide, and total housing production across all income levels reached a near-record low.
Completed in 1996, Gabriela Apartments was developed in direct response to these overlapping crises. The project helped replace affordable family housing lost to the earthquake while addressing the urgent need for deeply affordable homes during a period of extreme housing instability in San Francisco. Through its commitment to long-term affordability and family-centered design, Gabriela remains a vital part of the city’s recovery and resilience.
Have a question about this property? Send an inquiry:
268 Bush Street P.O. Box 3966
San Francisco CA 94104
(925) 438-0016
