Accent dwelling models in South San Francisco get $1M company push | Native Information

A partnership made possible by a $ 1 million company contribution to enable the construction of new accessory housing units has been enthusiastically received by officials from South San Francisco.

The South San Francisco City Council on Wednesday, April 28, unanimously approved a proposal to spend the $ 1 million Genentech paid to Hello Housing to expand access to the units.

The payment from Genentech is part of $ 30 million in commercial connectivity fees, in part to allay concerns that the biotech titan’s plan to expand its campus will drive up the cost of living.

Vice Mayor Mark Nagales praised the contribution and the resulting partnership with Hello Housing as evidence of Genentech’s commitment to being a good neighbor.

“When they are here, they have people interested in living here and they need to be part of the solution to provide the lack of medium and affordable housing,” he said.

In particular, Councilor Flor Nicholas expressed her appreciation for the service offered by Hello Housing.

“It’s a really good program,” she said.

Councilor Eddie Flores agreed

“I think this is a really great initiative and I’m really excited about it,” he said.

Hello Housing will effectively act as a project manager for single family home owners in South San Francisco interested in building an additional housing unit on their property.

The company will determine if prospective applicants are allowed to demonstrate design options, walk them through the permit process, introduce them to builders, oversee construction, provide training services to landlords, and more.

The program is designed to serve single family homeowners in South San Francisco who have the real estate available to build and the resources to fund the project.

Landowners with more than one rental property are excluded from participation as they are designed to provide targeted support to those who are not familiar with the concept.

But those who live in the single family home where an ADU is being considered, or small independent landlords with another rental property, are encouraged to participate.

Participants must first agree to rent the new unit, although there are no restrictions on the tenants, who can be friends, family, or co-workers. And the landlord could choose to live in the new unit and also list the main apartment for rent.

The new unit may not be listed as a short term rental or sold separately from the main residence. And if a junior unit is built under the program, the property must be inhabited by the owner.

An additional residential unit is usually a free-standing unit with a bathroom, kitchen and independent entrance that shares a plot of land with the main residence. A junior accessory unit is usually smaller, with no bathroom and an independent entrance attached to the main apartment.

According to Hello Housing, building the units may reduce displacements from rising cost of living by helping meet demand for housing in South San Francisco. In addition, the units can help families grow together on the same property or provide an independent, safe way of life for an aging relative.

The program could allow 30 to 40 additional housing units to be built in the first year, with plans to build on the success in the years to come.

“I think it just has a lot of advantages,” said Mayor Mark Addiego.

In other business areas, council members unanimously approved the establishment of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center at 366 Grand Ave. at the former US Bank location in the city center.

South San Francisco plans to spend up to $ 2 million on the program, and district officials have offered an initial investment of $ 200,000. The money will be used to set up a new center where small business owners, and eventually local residents, can receive financial assistance, professional training and other support for economic development.

The currently vacant 6,903 square meters will be rented to the city for a period of three years at a price of around $ 144,000 per year, although the landlord offers a certain share of the costs for improvements and maintenance.

The center is expected to open in October.

Addiego praised the vision of the proposal to help South San Francisco and surrounding communities recover from the pandemic.

“Of everything we’re working on, this one gives me the greatest hope that we can change life in the long term, and that’s exciting,” he said.