During an application period of less than two weeks some 2,500 people applied for the 93 apartments at One Church Street, where a one-bedroom apartment goes for $690 a month and three bedrooms are available for $1,080, according to nonprofit builder Bridge Housing.

"Church Street is one of the most successful properties we have ever built," says Carol Galante of San Francisco-based Bridge Housing. She notes that 19 units have been set aside for low-income families who qualify for the Section 8 housing subsidy program, while 12 will go to people with AIDS.

The Duboce Triangle location puts residents near the N Judah Muni Railway streetcar line and also contains amenities such as a daycare center, a coffee bar, and a computer-learning center.

The $15-million Bridge project was financed privately through the Bank of America, the California Equity Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and Mechanics Bank. But the project was heartily endorsed by a host of elected officials from Mayor Willie Brown to Supervisor Tom Ammiano.

Migden says she is hoping to see a statewide $2.1-billion bond measure that would create more housing for below-market apartments pass through the legislature and be placed before voters. Ammiano is also pushing for a $250-million local bond measure to help fund housing.

Brown says the need for affordable housing, particularly for families, is a major issue, considering San Francisco's sky-high real estate prices in the past decade. "It is one of the most serious challenges facing this city."

Bridge Housing advertised the new apartments in eight different newspapers and posted signs at the construction site, according to Chris Sterba. Fliers also were sent to 150 different social services agencies. He says those folks who did not win the lottery for an apartment at Church Street will be kept on a waiting list and notified of future possibilities.

Bridge has several other projects in the works within San Francisco and many more around the region and state, Sterba adds. He notes that construction is expected to begin this summer on a 341-unit project in the city's North Beach neighborhood, where a former public housing complex is being rebuilt and enlarged.

Instant Insights /

Deluge of Applications Underscores Affordable Housing Need

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