Some of San Francisco’s homeless young adults will now have a place to call home.
The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and Larkin Street Youth Services announced Monday the completed renovation of the Aarti Hotel, which will house homeless at-risk young adults between 18 and 24 years of age.
“It allows us to more than double the number of youth we serve,” Larkin Street executive director Sherilyn Adams said. “There is a huge gap in need.”
Along with providing housing, the 40-unit building at 510 Ellis St. will also house a number of on-site services including case management and employment skills training, Adams said.
Tenants for the building are selected through Larkin Street’s Routz program. To participate in the program a person must be homeless or at significant risk of being homeless, and have a mental health diagnosis, Adams said.
The building, which was built in 1907, was acquired by the TNDC in 1981 but lost funding three years ago, TNDC executive director Don Falk said.
It was at this point Larkin Street was identified as a viable supporter.
Since then, approximately $1 million has been used to upgrade all the individual units, including mechanical and electrical systems, Falk said.
“This is a place for people to live and … have affordable housing,” he said. “The city and county of San Francisco has an issue of homelessness with young people.”
The TNDC opened a homeless shelter down the street from the Aarti Hotel 10 years ago at 864 Ellis St., which is also operated in collaboration with Larkin Street.
Zack Farmer, Bay City News
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