Sunset Affordable Housing: 47 Lottery Apartments From $776 a Month at 2550 Irving Street

Published October 14, 202619 min readBy VoucherMatch Editorial Team

Rendering of a seven-story apartment building in tan brick with white bay windows on a corner, with palm trees and street trees along the sidewalk, cars and a painted crosswalk in the foreground — Rendering of 2550 Irving Street, San Francisco, from Irving Street and 27th Avenue looking east. It is from the 2023 drawings printed in the City's loan evaluation, so details of the finished building may differ. Photo: Pyatok, project rendering in a City document, via City loan evaluation for 2550 Irving, March 15, 2024 (Attachment F) (cropped from the page and enlarged).

Quick answer2550 Irving Street is a new seven-story building of 90 income-restricted apartments in San Francisco's Sunset, between 26th and 27th avenues. The City filled 47 of them through a DAHLIA lottery on December 30, 2025, at rents from $776 for a studio to $2,862 for a three-bedroom, and the record marks all 47 occupied. The lottery drew 8,839 applications. Applications are closed; the listing allows a waiting list of up to 500 households. Section 8 vouchers can be used, and subsidized households are exempt from the minimum income.

Last checked: October 6, 2026, against the DAHLIA listing, the building's Resident Selection Criteria (November 2025), the City's March 2024 loan evaluation and June 26, 2024 release, the Housing Authority's 2026 payment standards and utility allowances, building permit 202205053630 and the City's guide to applying. The listing and the selection criteria set the rules.

2550 Irving in numbers

90apartments in the seven-story building, 47 of them filled by lottery
$776the lowest lottery rent, for a studio
8,839lottery applications, about 188 per apartment
December 30, 2025the lottery
0 of 47lottery apartments the record still marks available
$18,624the lowest qualifying yearly income without a subsidy

What Was Built at 2550 Irving Street

2550 Irving is a seven-story building of 90 income-restricted apartments on the north side of Irving Street, running from 26th Avenue to 27th Avenue, where a credit union building and its parking lot stood.

Who the apartments are for: 47 went through the lottery. The City's loan evaluation sets aside 22 for families leaving homelessness and 15 one-bedrooms for veterans with federal vouchers, and one apartment is the manager's. The documents read do not say how the remaining five are filled.
Sizes: the criteria list 9 studios, 34 one-bedrooms, 23 two-bedrooms and 24 three-bedrooms.
Team: Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) developed and manages it. Pyatok is the architect and Guzman Construction Group the builder.
Street level: a community room, a resident lounge and a kitchen, plus an office and meeting room for the Sunset Chinese Cultural District.
Approval: the loan evaluation says the project was approved under the State's SB 35 streamlining and faced "significant litigation," which the developer won.
Money: $99.4 million, according to the City's 2024 release.

2550 Irving Street, from credit union to lottery

December 2019the City asks developers for family housing in districts with little of it.
May 5, 2022the building permit is filed.
May 17, 2023demolition of the old two-story building is complete.
June 26, 2023the City issues the building permit.
March 15, 2024the City's Loan Committee reviews the final loan.
June 26, 2024groundbreaking.
December 12, 2025lottery applications close at 5 p.m.
December 30, 2025the lottery. The results are dated January 6, 2026.

What it means: the lottery came six years after the City's call for proposals. The record, last changed in August 2026, shows every lottery apartment occupied.

Source: City loan evaluation of March 15, 2024; building permits 202205053630 and 202206277192; City release of June 26, 2024; DAHLIA listing; Resident Selection Criteria, Exhibit A; TNDC's property page.

Rendering of the building from the corner of Irving Street and 26th Avenue: a long seven-story facade in tan brick with a darker middle section, street trees and a tiled base — Rendering from Irving Street and 26th Avenue looking northwest, from the 2023 drawings. Photo: Pyatok, project rendering in a City document, via City loan evaluation for 2550 Irving, March 15, 2024 (Attachment F) (cropped from the page and enlarged).

Where 2550 Irving Is

2550 Irving Street fills the Irving Street frontage between 26th and 27th avenues, in ZIP code 94122 and Supervisor District 4.

The place, in local terms

Neighborhoodthe Sunset in the City's release. DAHLIA and the permit record say Sunset/Parkside.
The streetthe Irving Street commercial corridor, in the City's words.
The parkthe City's release puts the building one block from Golden Gate Park.
Supervisor District4, which the Neighborhood Resident preference uses.

What it means: search "2550 Irving" with or without "Street"; every record uses the same address. VoucherMatch lists voucher apartments in the Outer Sunset, which includes the Central Sunset, and in the Inner Sunset.

Source: DAHLIA listing; City loan evaluation; City release of June 26, 2024; permit record.

A view down a residential avenue from Lincoln Way, with two-story houses in the foreground and the seven-story building drawn in beyond them — The architect's view from Lincoln Way and 27th Avenue looking south, with the building drawn into a photograph of the block. Lincoln Way is the edge of Golden Gate Park. Photo: Pyatok, project rendering in a City document, via City loan evaluation for 2550 Irving, March 15, 2024 (Attachment F) (cropped from the page and enlarged).

Transit near 2550 Irving Street
Stop or station	Lines	Straight-line distance
Lincoln Way and 27th Ave	29 Sunset	0.12 miles
Judah St and 25th Ave	Muni Metro N Judah	0.16 miles
23rd Ave and Irving St	7 Haight-Noriega	0.20 miles
19th Ave and Irving St	28 19th Avenue	0.42 miles
19th Ave and Lincoln Way	28R 19th Avenue Rapid	0.44 miles
Fulton St and 28th Ave	5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid	0.63 miles

What it means: the 29 bus, the N Judah and the 7 bus stop within a fifth of a mile. The nearest BART stations, Balboa Park and Glen Park, are 3.5 miles away.

Source: stops and lines from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's schedule data and BART's station list, read October 6, 2026; distances calculated by VoucherMatch in a straight line from the coordinates in the City's permit record, so the walk is longer.

Rents and Income Limits in the 2550 Irving Lottery

The 47 lottery apartments rent for fixed amounts set by size and income level: $776 to $1,284 for a studio, $1,353 or $1,715 for a one-bedroom, $962 to $2,485 for a two-bedroom and $1,102 to $2,862 for a three-bedroom.

Monthly rent and lowest qualifying income in the lottery, by apartment type
Apartment	Level	Apartments	Rent	Lowest yearly income	People
Studio	25%	3	$776	$18,624	1 to 2
Studio	30%	2	$945	$22,680	1 to 2
Studio	40%	4	$1,284	$30,816	1 to 2
One-bedroom	40%	6	$1,353	$32,472	1 to 3
One-bedroom	50%	2	$1,715	$41,160	1 to 3
Two-bedroom	25%	3	$962	$23,088	2 to 5
Two-bedroom	30%	1	$1,179	$28,296	2 to 5
Two-bedroom	40%	1	$1,615	$38,760	2 to 5
Two-bedroom	50%	4	$2,050	$49,200	2 to 5
Two-bedroom	60%	5	$2,485	$59,640	2 to 5
Three-bedroom	25%	3	$1,102	$26,448	4 to 7
Three-bedroom	30%	1	$1,353	$32,472	4 to 7
Three-bedroom	40%	1	$1,856	$44,544	4 to 7
Three-bedroom	50%	4	$2,359	$56,616	4 to 7
Three-bedroom	60%	7	$2,862	$68,688	4 to 7

What it means: 30 of the 47 lottery apartments have two or three bedrooms, and 9 were priced at the lowest level.

Source: DAHLIA listing and its unit records, read October 6, 2026; the record was last changed on August 17, 2026. The listing gives the minimum as a monthly income of two times the rent; the yearly figure is that amount times 12. These were the rents at lease-up, and the criteria say rents change every year.

Highest yearly income in the listing, by household size and level
People	25%	30%	40%	50%	60%
1	$33,850	$40,620	$54,160	$67,700	none
2	$38,700	$46,440	$61,920	$77,400	$92,880
3	$43,525	$52,230	$69,640	$87,050	$104,460
4	$48,350	$58,020	$77,360	$96,700	$116,040
5	$52,225	$62,670	$83,560	$104,450	$125,340
6	$56,100	$67,320	$89,760	$112,200	$134,640
7	$59,975	$71,970	$95,960	$119,950	$143,940

What it means: find your row, then every column at or above your income.

Source: DAHLIA listing; every column is the State tax-credit chart for 2025. "None" means no lottery apartment at that level fit a household that size.

A different chart from the City's. The City's release describes the building as serving households at 25% to 75% of median on its own chart. The listing uses the State tax-credit chart, where the same apartments are 25% to 60%.
One person over $67,700 fit no lottery apartment: the 60% level was two-bedrooms and three-bedrooms only.
Not every apartment has a fixed rent. The veteran and family apartments are subsidized and are outside the table above.
Size: lottery studios are 425 to 481 square feet, one-bedrooms 580, two-bedrooms 814 to 1,033 and three-bedrooms 1,224 to 1,388.

What tenants pay besides rent

Application fee$35.
Security deposit$776 to $2,862.
Utilitiesthe tenant pays PG&E. Broadband internet is free.
Parkingno charge for a space. The listing asks a $150 deposit for the garage fob.
Other charges$20 for rent paid after the 5th, $35 for a returned check, $25 for a key and $50 for a fob. Renter's insurance is not required.

Source: DAHLIA listing, read October 6, 2026.

Using a Section 8 Voucher at 2550 Irving

Yes, a voucher can be used at 2550 Irving: the criteria say TNDC "welcomes voucher holders to apply," and a subsidized household does not have to meet the minimum income.

What the documents say about vouchers

The criteria, on tenant-based vouchers"Most studio or larger housing units may be occupied by a Tenant-based Section 8 Voucher holder, and TNDC welcomes voucher holders to apply."
The criteria, on minimum incomehousehold income must be at least two times the rent, and "subsidized households are exempt from this minimum income requirement."
The criteria, on who sets your share"the tenant-paid portion of the rent will be determined by the SFHA."
DAHLIA's general text says less"the required minimum income will be based on the portion of the rent that the tenant pays after use of the subsidy."

What it means: the two texts differ, and the building's own is the more generous. The income ceiling for the apartment still applies.

Source: Resident Selection Criteria of November 2025; DAHLIA listing text, read October 6, 2026.

Lowest and highest lottery rent at 2550 Irving against the San Francisco Housing Authority's 2026 payment standard, by apartment size, dollars

Lowest rentHighest rentPayment standard

Studio

$776

$1,284

$2,733

One-bedroom

$1,353

$1,715

$3,274

Two-bedroom

$962

$2,485

$3,964

Three-bedroom

$1,102

$2,862

$5,064

View the data table

Apartment	Lowest rent	Highest rent	Payment standard
Studio	$776	$1,284	$2,733
One-bedroom	$1,353	$1,715	$3,274
Two-bedroom	$962	$2,485	$3,964
Three-bedroom	$1,102	$2,862	$5,064

What it means: every lottery rent is at least $1,449 under the standard for its size.

Source: rents from the DAHLIA listing; payment standards from the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco (SFHA), effective January 1, 2026, one schedule for the whole city.

Utilities still fit. You pay PG&E, so SFHA adds a utility allowance to the rent. On its 2026 schedule for buildings of five or more apartments, every electric line together comes to $302 for a two-bedroom, which leaves the $2,485 two-bedroom $1,177 under the standard. See how the utility allowance works.
15 one-bedrooms carry a veterans' voucher. The loan evaluation says they are subsidized through the federal VASH program, with SFHA. Veterans reach them through the Department of Veterans Affairs, not the lottery.
A voucher from another agency has to move first. It must be transferred to SFHA through portability. SFHA is on the California housing authority list, and Section 8 in San Francisco explains its rules.
State law. The California Civil Rights Department lists "Source of income (including the use of government rental assistance such as a Section 8 Housing Choice voucher)" as protected in housing.

How the Rents Compare With Typical Rents in ZIP Code 94122

Every lottery rent at 2550 Irving is between 25% and 73% of HUD's estimate of an ordinary rent in ZIP code 94122.

Lowest and highest lottery rent at 2550 Irving against HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 94122, by apartment size, dollars

Lowest rentHighest rentHUD fair market rent, ZIP 94122

Studio

$776

$1,284

$2,370

One-bedroom

$1,353

$1,715

$2,770

Two-bedroom

$962

$2,485

$3,410

Three-bedroom

$1,102

$2,862

$4,460

View the data table

Apartment	Lowest rent	Highest rent	HUD fair market rent, ZIP 94122
Studio	$776	$1,284	$2,370
One-bedroom	$1,353	$1,715	$2,770
Two-bedroom	$962	$2,485	$3,410
Three-bedroom	$1,102	$2,862	$4,460

What it means: the highest lottery rent, $2,862 for a three-bedroom, is $1,598 under HUD's figure.

Source: rents from the DAHLIA listing; HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027, in effect since October 1, 2026, HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile rent in the ZIP code with utilities included.

Utilities: HUD's figure includes all utilities and these rents leave out PG&E, so the real gap is somewhat smaller.
Nearby: see voucher apartments in 94122 and California rent limits by county.

Who Got Preference in the Lottery

Preference holders were ranked ahead of everyone else in a fixed order, and two of the preferences still open a door after the lottery.

Preference order at 2550 Irving, with applications in the record

1. Certificate of Preferencehouseholds displaced by the former Redevelopment Agency in the 1960s and 1970s. All 47 apartments. 12 applications.
2. Displaced Tenantholders of the City's Displaced Tenant Housing Preference certificate. Up to 9 apartments. 34 applications.
3. Neighborhood Residentpeople living in Supervisor District 4 or within half a mile. Up to 11 apartments. 872 applications, plus 5 from veterans.
4. Live or Work in San Franciscoall remaining apartments. 7,588 applications, plus 84 from veterans.
Veteransranked first inside each preference they hold.
No preference1,236 applications, ranked after the rest.

What it means: the 11 neighborhood apartments drew about 80 applications each.

Source: counts from the DAHLIA listing record; order from the criteria, Exhibit D. An application can claim more than one preference, so the counts exceed the 8,839 total.

Still open to certificate holders: the criteria say Certificate of Preference and Displaced Tenant applicants "can apply at any time regardless of whether a waiting list is closed," and an eligible one goes to the top of the list.
The results: the City posted the ranked lottery results on January 6, 2026.

The Building: What Is Included and What Is Not

The shared rooms, a courtyard, a roof deck and broadband come with the building; pets do not, and parking is scarce.

Rendering of a building entrance with the words 2550 Irving above a patterned metal gate, between brick walls and large windows, with people walking in and benches at the sidewalk — Rendering of the entry gate on Irving Street, from the 2023 drawings. Photo: Pyatok, project rendering in a City document, via City loan evaluation for 2550 Irving, March 15, 2024 (Attachment F) (cropped from the page and enlarged).

Included, not included and rules

Shared spacesa large community room, a resident lounge, a community kitchen, a laundry room, a ground-floor courtyard, a roof deck with fitness equipment and a grill, and a mailbox area with a package room.
Internetfree broadband.
Servicesthe listing says social workers are on site.
Bicyclessecure indoor parking, one space per apartment by the criteria.
Pets"No Pets," with companion animals allowed as a reasonable accommodation.
Smokingnot allowed in enclosed common areas, at entrances and exits or near operable doors and vents.
Accessibilityamong the lottery apartments, 10 are built for mobility impairments and 3 for hearing or vision impairments. Two elevators serve the residential floors.

Source: DAHLIA listing; Resident Selection Criteria, Exhibit A.

Rendering of the 26th Avenue side of the building with a garage door marked Residential Parking, a tiled base, street trees and a person on a scooter — Rendering of the 26th Avenue side, with the entrance to the residents' garage. Photo: Pyatok, project rendering in a City document, via City loan evaluation for 2550 Irving, March 15, 2024 (Attachment F) (cropped from the page and enlarged).

Parking, by four documents

The listing5 spaces for lottery households, free, "allocated in lottery rank order."
The criteria, November 20258 spaces for residents, 3 for the referral apartments and 4 for waiting-list residents.
TNDC's property page11 on-site spaces.
The loan evaluation, March 202418 spaces in a ground-floor garage with a two-level stacker.

What it means: the counts do not agree, and the listing's five is the number offered to lottery households. Plan on not having a space.

Source: DAHLIA listing; Resident Selection Criteria, Exhibit A; TNDC's property page; City loan evaluation.

How to Get Into 2550 Irving Now

There is no open application: the lottery apartments are all marked occupied, so the routes left are the waiting list, a certificate, or a referral.

Four routes into 2550 Irving after the lottery

1If you applied in 2025the listing provides for a waiting list of up to 500 households. The criteria say TNDC updates it at least once a year and removes anyone who does not answer its letter in time, generally 5 to 10 business days.
2If you hold a Certificate of Preference or a Displaced Tenant certificatethe criteria let you apply at any time. Contact the leasing office.
3If you are a veteran who has been homelessthe 15 veterans' one-bedrooms are filled through the VASH program. Start with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
4If your family is homelessthe 22 family apartments are filled through the City's Coordinated Entry system, run by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

What happens when an apartment opens

A vacancythe criteria say TNDC takes applications from the waiting list "when the property has vacant units or is expecting vacancies soon."
Contactthe City's guide says you have 5 days to respond when a leasing agent reaches you.
Screeningincome and assets are certified by third parties before any move-in.
A denialan appeal is due in 5 business days, or 14 calendar days for a denial over criminal history.

What it means: for most people the next real chance is a reopened waiting list. The criteria say any reopening "will require a new lottery for new applicants."

Source: Resident Selection Criteria, sections on waiting lists, appeals and Exhibit B; City loan evaluation; DAHLIA listing; the City's guide to applying (April 2026).

Documents to have ready if you are called

Photo ID. for every adult
Pay stubs. the last three months
Bank statements. the last six, plus other asset statements
Benefit statements. Social Security, SSI, unemployment or similar
Voucher paperwork. your Section 8 voucher, if you have one
Certificates. a Certificate of Preference or Displaced Tenant certificate
Landlord contacts. for the past two years

Source: the City's guide, list for 100% affordable buildings; Resident Selection Criteria.

Watch outthe criteria screen rental history. They ask for no negative landlord references in the past two years and no unlawful detainer in the past three. They also exclude an applicant whose rent would be more than half of gross monthly income, unless the household is subsidized.

The leasing agent in the DAHLIA listing is at 415-967-6791 and 2550irvingleaseup@tndc.org, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment.

What Is Known and What Is Not Yet Published

Five things a renter needs are not settled in the listing, the criteria or any other document read for this report.

Not published as of October 6, 2026

Today's rentsthe listing shows the lease-up rents. The criteria say rents change every year, and no later schedule for the building is posted.
Whether the waiting list is openthe listing allows up to 500 households and does not say how many are on the list.
When tenants moved inthe record marks all 47 lottery apartments occupied. No City release on an opening was found, and TNDC's property page still reads "In Development."
The last five apartmentsthe lottery, the family apartments, the veterans' apartments and the manager's add up to 85 of 90.
What the PG&E bill coversthe listing does not say whether heat and hot water are on the tenant's meter.

If You Need an Apartment Sooner

2550 Irving is full, so keep other options moving.

2 bedrooms apartment in Inner Richmond, Outside NYC — San Francisco apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to 2550 Irving first

1 bedroom apartment in Tenderloin, Outside NYC — San Francisco apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to 2550 Irving first

Voucher in hand: browse Section 8 apartments in San Francisco, including two-bedrooms and three-bedrooms.
No voucher yet: check which Section 8 waiting lists are open.
Open lotteries: on October 6, 2026, DAHLIA's rental listings had two new buildings taking applications: 850 Turk Street until October 13 and Luca until October 22.
Buildings where you apply directly: see low-income apartments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 2550 Irving take Section 8?

Yes. The criteria say TNDC "welcomes voucher holders to apply," and subsidized households are exempt from the minimum income. Another 15 one-bedrooms carry veterans' vouchers and are filled by referral.

How much is rent at 2550 Irving?

In the 2025 lottery: $776 to $1,284 for a studio, $1,353 or $1,715 for a one-bedroom, $962 to $2,485 for a two-bedroom and $1,102 to $2,862 for a three-bedroom. Tenants also pay PG&E.

How much do you have to earn for 2550 Irving?

Without a subsidy, at least two times the rent: $18,624 a year for the $776 studio. The most one person could earn was $33,850 to $67,700, depending on the level; for four people it was $48,350 to $116,040.

Can I still apply to 2550 Irving?

Not through an open application. The lottery closed on December 12, 2025, and all 47 lottery apartments are marked occupied. Certificate of Preference and Displaced Tenant certificate holders can apply at any time.

How many people applied to 2550 Irving?

8,839 households applied for 47 apartments, about 188 for each. The 11 apartments set aside for Sunset neighbors drew 877 applications.

Who lives at 2550 Irving?

Of 90 apartments, 47 went to lottery households, 22 are for families leaving homelessness, 15 one-bedrooms are for veterans and one is the manager's. The documents read do not account for the other five.

Are the rents at 2550 Irving below market?

Yes. HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for a two-bedroom in ZIP code 94122 is $3,410. The lottery two-bedrooms rent for $962 to $2,485.

Is there parking at 2550 Irving?

A little. The listing offers 5 free spaces to lottery households in rank order, with a $150 fob deposit. The criteria count 8 spaces for the whole building.

Sources for this article (13)

DAHLIA listing (housing.sfgov.org)
Resident Selection Criteria (media.api.sf.gov)
March 2024 loan evaluation (sf.gov)
June 26, 2024 release (sf.gov)
2026 payment standards (sfha.org)
utility allowances (sfha.org)
building permit (data.sf.gov)
guide to applying (sfplanning.org)
TNDC's property page (tndc.org)
California Civil Rights Department (calcivilrights.ca.gov)
Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
lottery results (media.api.sf.gov)
rental listings (housing.sfgov.org)

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Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected