1035 Van Ness
A Permanent Supportive Housing Development for Veterans, led by Swords to Plowshares
A Permanent Supportive Housing Development for Veterans, led by Swords to Plowshares
Swords to Plowshares has acquired and is rehabilitating 1035 Van Ness Avenue into 124 permanently affordable homes for veterans—each a studio apartment equipped with a private bathroom and kitchenette. The site will offer 24/7 front desk coverage and an array of on-site supportive services, meals and activities.
This adaptive-reuse project transforms a former senior care facility into dignified housing with community spaces, courtyards, and accessible amenities. Every resident will have a private apartment and access to comprehensive support—including case management, peer counseling, mental health care, in-home habitability support, transportation to medical appointments, healthcare navigation, community-building activities, and daily meals provided by Project Open Hand and Centro Latino.
Our goal is to ensure that veterans not only have a home, but the resources and community needed to live independently and thrive.
The $41 million project is funded through a mix of State Homekey Plus grants, City loans and service contracts, HAF bridge financing, and private philanthropy.
By rehabilitating an existing structure rather than building new, Swords and its partners will deliver permanent housing faster and at lower cost—ensuring that public and private investments translate directly into homes for veterans.
We are committed to open communication with neighbors and local businesses. A public community meeting will be held on-site to share updates, gather feedback, and continue the conversation.
Hundreds of veterans in San Francisco struggle with housing instability and the long-term effects of service-connected injuries. At 1035 Van Ness, we pair deeply affordable housing integrated care and community in a central, transit-connected neighborhood—helping more veterans age in place with dignity.
The typical Swords to Plowshares resident is a veteran aged 55 or older, living on less than $1,200 per month and managing one or more disabilities, often related to their service. Many have spent years in unstable housing or cycling through temporary programs before finding stability, safety, and belonging in a Swords’ residence.
At 1035 Van Ness, residents will sign leases, pay rent, and live independently with support tailored to their needs.
Swords to Plowshares is a San Francisco–based nonprofit founded by Vietnam veterans in 1974. For more than 50 years, our mission has been to end and prevent veteran homelessness through housing, employment, legal aid, and health services.
Photo: Swords' first drop-in center located at 400 Valencia
When veteran homelessness soared in the 1980s—with veterans making up one in three adults on the streets—Swords took action. We opened transitional housing in the Tenderloin in 1988, expanded near City College in 1992, and on Treasure Island in 2000. That same year, Swords opened the nation’s first permanent supportive housing program for veterans, located in the San Francisco Presidio National Park.
Photo: Jon W. Paulson Veterans Community, Presidio
Since then, we’ve expanded housing throughout San Francisco to ensure every veteran has a permanent home—not a temporary bed. Today, we operate over 500 affordable homes across the city, each designed to help veterans live independently with the stability and dignity they deserve.
Photo: Edward M. Lee Apartments, Mission Bay
Over the past decade, veteran homelessness in San Francisco has been reduced by more than 50%, thanks to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ investments in homeless programs, deep partnership with the San Francisco VA Medical Center, and strong coordination with the City and County of San Francisco.
Photo: Maceo May Apartments, Treasure Island
Retention rate
of veterans remain housed each year.
Staffing model
1 case manager for every 25 residents—among the most intensive in the field.
Partnership
On-site collaboration with the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
Comprehensive services
Mental health care, peer support, daily meals, transportation, in-home support for habitability, healthcare navigation, and community-building.
This project reflects a strong public–nonprofit partnership dedicated to veteran wellbeing and housing equity.
Swords to Plowshares
50 years serving veterans; 25 years of housing operations in San Francisco.
Saida + Sullivan Design Partners
architecture & rehabilitation design
Thank you to the support from the following:
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