Mission Cabins at 1979 Mission Street. Photo by Xueer Lu. April 10, 2024.
by XUEER LU
APRIL 15, 2024, 6:00 AM
Mission Cabins, a two-year homeless-shelter project offering 60 tiny homes to adults experiencing homelessness, will open its doors this morning to residents at 1979 Mission St., next to the northeastern 16th Street BART Plaza.
The project will house up to 68 adults. Sitting on a 24,000-square-foot parking lot surrounded by eight-foot-tall black wire fences, the cabin village features 52 65-square-foot single rooms and eight 78-square-foot double rooms for couples. The rooms for couples sit on the east side of the site.
Deborah Bouck, communications and community engagement lead at the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said that the program is invitation-only, and will not accept walk-ins or applications. The site’s service provider, the nonprofit Five Keys Schools and Programs, and the department’s homeless outreach program aim to move in five people a day until the cabins are all occupied.
One of the three sitting areas in between rows of rooms. Photo by Xueer Lu. April 10, 2024.
Two wooden steps lead into each cabin. Each room has a lock on the door and a window. The inside is furnished with a single or double bed with pink or dark gray bedding, a bath towel and a three-drawer cabinet in the corner. A potted plant sits atop the cabinet, and along the wall is an air-conditioning unit with a light above it.
Guests are allowed to bring in their own possessions, and can put their belongings in one of five shared storage units if they require the extra space.