A San Francisco housing project explicitly designed for LGBTQ seniors is now under fire for breaking civil rights laws. Resident James Carroll filed a formal complaint claiming the plan is blatantly illegal. He argues that using tax money to favor one group over another violates the rights of straight seniors.
The city bought the land on Market Street for $12 million in 2020. It's now leasing that land to the developer for just $15,000 a month. The project includes 187 apartments and has secured at least $47 million in state funding. This massive public investment excludes a large portion of the senior population based on sexual orientation.
Construction is set to begin late this year or early 2027. The city owns the land, but the plan limits who can live there.
$47 million.
Carroll told The California Post that he won't tolerate this kind of discrimination. He wants officials to correct their language and launch a full investigation. He asked if the mayor would ever say a building is for heterosexual seniors. The answer is no, but the reverse is happening right now.
State Sen. Scott Wiener posted online that the project would focus on LGBTQ seniors. Mayor Daniel Lurie released a statement saying the homes were designed to serve them. These aren't vague hints. They are clear admissions of a demographic preference. Carroll noted these quotes in his complaint to the Human Rights Commission.
He stated that any reasonable person sees this as an admission of who will and will not live there. He called the plan blatantly illegal. A staffer for the developer later emailed Carroll to claim they are open to all eligible applicants. Yet the public record shows officials have already drawn the line.
Hundreds of #SanFrancisco Marina residents turned out this evening for townhall on controversial @Safeway housing plan, which would place what for many is an uncomfortably tall, 22 & 18 story project at the low-slung neighborhood’s waterfront. @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/2MTDL19NyQ
— Laura Waxmann (@laura_waxee) July 24, 2026