Lower Nob Hill was once best known for its classic San Francisco architecture, relatively affordable residential properties, and thriving businesses. Travelers, especially those wanting easy, safe walks to Union Square, were drawn to its hotels. Due to decisions made by City Hall during the Covid-19 era, the area has changed dramatically. An influx of homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing units moved into the southern portion of Nob Hill, abruptly changing the neighborhood’s character. Area residents and workers say it’s not just seedy, but dangerous.
From 1973 to 2021, 711 Post Street was the Ansonia Hotel, a busy youth hostel. Today, it is where the city places hundreds of unhoused, unstable individuals — the largest such facility in the neighborhood. Initially contracted to hold up to 250 people, it’s currently over capacity at 280 and includes 42 dogs. Urban Alchemy, a nonprofit organization that formerly hired incarcerated people, has been running the facility, but its contract ends March 31, 2026. Therefore, a decision about the fate of 711 Post Street must be made soon.
In response, locals have mobilized. The Lower Nob Hill Association (LNHA), composed of residents and business owners, want the city to reject a new lease and close the shelter so it can revert to a functioning hotel. They gathered more than 100 signatures on their petition. While the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) is aware of the neighbor’s objectives, it has a conflicting aim: to keep the 119-year-old building as a homeless shelter.
The backstory
In 2020, San Francisco was awarded $41.6 million in state Project Homekey grants to convert hotels, motels, and other properties into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The funds became available a year later. Because Lower Nob Hill had many such commercial buildings, it became a focal point for Homekey spending. Among the proposed locations was the five-floor Ansonia Hotel. The LNHA pleaded with city leaders to stop the conversion. It was the community against then Mayor London Breed, the Board of Supervisors, and HSH…