Visitacion Valley Housing Lottery: 23 Apartments From $1,749 a Month at Luca, 1652 Sunnydale Avenue
Quick answerAs of October 6, 2026, San Francisco's housing portal, DAHLIA, is taking lottery applications for 23 income-restricted apartments at Luca, 1652 Sunnydale Avenue, a new five-story building in the Sunnydale HOPE SF rebuild in Visitacion Valley. Rents are $1,749 for a one-bedroom, $2,101 for a two-bedroom and $2,426 for a three-bedroom. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Section 8 vouchers can be used, and all three rents are under the Housing Authority's payment standard. Current and former Sunnydale public housing residents are ranked first.
Last checked: October 6, 2026, against the DAHLIA listing, the building's Resident Selection Criteria (revised August 2, 2026), Mercy Housing's page for Luca, the Housing Authority's 2026 payment standards and utility allowances, the City's January 2025 loan evaluation, building permit 202211146447 and the City's guide to applying. The listing and the criteria set the rules; confirm there before you apply.
- 23apartments in the lottery, of 95 in the building
- $1,749the lowest rent, for a one-bedroom
- Oct. 22the 2026 deadline, at 5 p.m.
- $41,976the lowest qualifying yearly income
- 131applications claiming the Sunnydale Right to Return preference, which is ranked first
- 17free parking spaces set aside for lottery households
What Is Being Built at 1652 Sunnydale Avenue
Luca is a five-story building of 95 apartments in the rebuild of the Sunnydale public housing site: 71 apartments are reserved for Sunnydale public housing households, one is the manager's, and 23 are in this lottery.
- Names: Luca in its marketing, "formerly Sunnydale 9" on Mercy Housing's page. City records call it Sunnydale Block 9, and the criteria say Luca Apartments. The owner is Sunnydale Block 9 Housing Partners, L.P.
- ZIP code: 94134 in the listing and City data. The criteria print 94112.
- Size: 10 one-bedrooms, 51 two-bedrooms, 23 three-bedrooms and 11 four-bedrooms, on four wood-frame floors over a concrete podium with a garage. The building permit calls it four stories over a basement level.
- Team: Related California and Mercy Housing California are co-developers. Van Meter Williams Pollack and Kerman Morris Architects designed it, and Mercy Housing will manage it. The Housing Authority owns the land.
- Money: on January 24, 2025 the City's Loan Committee reviewed a City loan of up to $30.2 million. The total cost was put at $113.5 million.
- The larger project: the City says HOPE SF is replacing Sunnydale's 775 public housing units with more than 1,700 homes.
- November 14, 2022the building permit is filed. The City issues it on August 12, 2024.
- January 24, 2025the City's Loan Committee reviews the final City loan.
- June 10, 2025notice to proceed with construction, in the City's housing dataset.
- October 30, 2025groundbreaking ceremony for Blocks 7 and 9.
- October 1 to 22, 2026lottery applications.
- May 4, 2027estimated completion in the City's dataset. Mercy Housing says construction ends in spring 2027.
What it means: the lottery runs about six months before the building is due to be finished.
Source: City building permit 202211146447; the City's loan evaluation of January 24, 2025; the City's affordable housing pipeline dataset; the City's October 30, 2025 release; Mercy Housing's page.
Where Luca Is
Luca is at Sunnydale Avenue and Santos Street in Visitacion Valley, in ZIP code 94134 and Supervisor District 10.
- NeighborhoodVisitacion Valley in the DAHLIA listing and City data. The development itself is called Sunnydale.
- Supervisor District10, which the Neighborhood Resident preference uses.
- Next doorBlock 7, at 65 Santos Street, has 89 apartments under construction, according to the City's dataset.
What it means: search by the address or by "Sunnydale Block 9" as well as by the name. VoucherMatch lists voucher apartments in Visitacion Valley.
Source: DAHLIA listing; City loan evaluation; City affordable housing pipeline dataset.
| Stop or station | Lines | Straight-line distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hahn St and Sunnydale Ave | 8 Bayshore, 8BX, 56 Rutland, 91 Owl | 0.10 miles |
| Sunnydale Ave at the west access road | 9 San Bruno, 9R San Bruno Rapid | 0.23 miles |
| Mansell St and John F. Shelley Dr | 29 Sunset | 0.42 miles |
| Bayshore Blvd and Sunnydale Ave | Muni Metro T Third | 0.74 miles |
| Glen Park | BART | 1.67 miles |
| Balboa Park | BART | 1.74 miles |
What it means: buses stop within a quarter mile, the T Third light rail is about three quarters of a mile away and BART is more than a mile and a half 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 building's coordinates in the City's dataset, so the trip is longer.
Rents and Income Limits for Each Apartment
The 23 lottery apartments have one rent for each size, and a household without a voucher needs a yearly income of at least 24 times the monthly rent.
| Apartments | Rent | Lowest yearly income | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 one-bedrooms | $1,749 | $41,976 | 1 to 3 |
| 15 two-bedrooms | $2,101 | $50,424 | 2 to 5 |
| 2 three-bedrooms | $2,426 | $58,224 | 4 to 7 |
What it means: two thirds of the lottery apartments are two-bedrooms, and only two are three-bedrooms.
Source: DAHLIA listing, read October 6, 2026. The listing gives the minimum as a monthly income of two times the rent ($3,498 for the one-bedroom); the yearly figure is that amount times 12.
| Household | Income limit | Apartments that fit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $88,260 | one-bedroom |
| 2 people | $100,860 | one- or two-bedroom |
| 3 people | $113,460 | one- or two-bedroom |
| 4 people | $126,060 | two- or three-bedroom |
| 5 people | $136,200 | two- or three-bedroom |
| 6 people | $146,280 | three-bedroom |
| 7 people | $156,360 | three-bedroom |
What it means: one person qualifies with an income from $41,976 to $88,260 on the listing's figures.
Source: DAHLIA's income data for this listing, 60% of area median income on the State tax-credit chart for 2026, read October 6, 2026.
Watch outtwo documents disagree on the chart. The listing and the City's loan evaluation cap these apartments at 60% on the tax-credit chart. The unit table in the criteria prints a 60% maximum under the City's own chart, where 60% is $68,050 for one person and $97,250 for four. If your income falls between the two figures, ask the leasing office at 628-303-3441 before you count on qualifying.
- The rents sit below a typical 60% rent. The criteria's unit table gives these apartments a rent target of 50% on the tax-credit chart. At 850 Turk Street, a 50% one-bedroom lists at $1,759 and a 60% one-bedroom at $2,153.
- Three-bedroom household size. The listing allows four to seven people. A State occupancy chart in the criteria shows four to five for these apartments.
- Young children. The criteria say children under 6 do not count toward the minimum household size in the lottery apartments.
- The rent does not follow your income. DAHLIA's description of the Right to Return preference says "these units are not subsidized, the rent will not change if your income changes." The listing says the apartments are not under rent control.
The listing gives one-bedrooms of 516 to 562 square feet, two-bedrooms of 740 to 843 and three-bedrooms of 1,002 to 1,143.
- Screening fee$25 per adult, paid by money order at the first interview, according to the criteria.
- Security deposit$1,749 to $2,426.
- Utilitiesthe tenant pays electricity, phone, TV cable and internet.
- Parkingfree for the households that get one of the 17 spaces.
- Other charges$25 for late rent, $25 for a returned check, $10 for a key and $40 for a fob.
- Petsno pet fee or deposit. Proof of spaying or neutering, vaccinations and a license is due by lease signing.
Source: DAHLIA listing, read October 6, 2026; Resident Selection Criteria, section VIII.G.
Using a Section 8 Voucher at Luca
Yes, a Section 8 voucher that moves with the tenant can be used in the 23 lottery apartments: DAHLIA says so for this property, and Luca's criteria describe how voucher households in those apartments are handled.
- DAHLIA, on every rental listing"Section 8 housing vouchers and other valid rental assistance programs can be used for this property."
- DAHLIA, on minimum income"In the case of a valid rental subsidy, the required minimum income will be based on the portion of the rent that the tenant pays after use of the subsidy."
- Luca's criteria, on income"residents are eligible for the 'lottery units' if their income is two times the net rent."
- Luca's criteria, on vouchers in lottery apartmentsthey cover households with a voucher "commonly called 'tenant based' and/or 'portable,'" and say "SFHA requires that a household pay 30% of their adjusted household income."
What it means: these criteria do not waive the minimum for voucher holders, as the criteria at 850 Turk Street do. DAHLIA's rule applies: income of two times your share of the rent.
Source: DAHLIA listing text, read October 6, 2026; Resident Selection Criteria, sections VIII.C and XI.
Exampleunder DAHLIA's rule, a voucher household whose share of the rent is $600 a month would need an income of $1,200 a month. Your housing specialist can tell you your share for a given rent.
View the data table
| Apartment | Rent at Luca | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $1,749 | $3,274 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,101 | $3,964 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,426 | $5,064 |
What it means: each rent is $1,525 to $2,638 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 the electric bill, 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 $252 for a one-bedroom and $361 for a three-bedroom. Rent plus that amount is still $1,273 to $2,277 under the standard. See how the utility allowance works.
- The other 71 apartments are a different program. They have vouchers attached to the apartment, and the Housing Authority fills them from Sunnydale households, not through DAHLIA. See Section 8 and public housing compared.
- Your voucher size counts. HUD's rule uses the lower of the standards for your voucher size and for the apartment. See Section 8 in San Francisco and renting above your voucher size.
- 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.
- 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 94134
All three rents are below HUD's estimate of an ordinary rent in ZIP code 94134, by $931 to $1,724 a month.
View the data table
| Apartment | Rent at Luca | HUD fair market rent, ZIP 94134 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $1,749 | $2,680 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,101 | $3,250 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,426 | $4,150 |
What it means: the rents are 58% to 65% of HUD's figure for the area.
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 figures include all utilities and these rents leave out electricity, so the real gap is somewhat smaller.
- Nearby: see voucher apartments in 94134 and California rent limits by county.
Who Gets Preference in the Lottery
Current and former Sunnydale public housing residents are ranked first for all 23 apartments, ahead of every citywide preference.
- 1. Right to Return, Sunnydalehouseholds with a member who lives or used to live in Sunnydale public housing. All 23 apartments. 131 applications.
- 2. Certificate of Preferencehouseholds displaced by the former Redevelopment Agency in the 1960s and 1970s, and their descendants. All 23 apartments. 6 applications.
- 3. Displaced Tenantpeople displaced by an Ellis Act or owner move-in eviction, or by fire damage. Up to 4 apartments. 7 applications.
- 4. Neighborhood Residentpeople living in Supervisor District 10 or within half a mile. Up to 9 apartments. 255 applications.
- 5. Live or Work in San Franciscoall remaining apartments. 1,603 applications.
- No preference269 applications, ranked after the rest.
What it means: the first preference alone has more than five applications for every apartment.
Source: counts from the DAHLIA listing record on October 6, 2026; the Right to Return definition from the criteria, section V.B. An application can claim more than one preference, so the counts exceed the 1,872 total. Veterans rank first inside each citywide preference.
A claim has to be documented, and the household still has to meet the income rules. At 290 Malosi, an earlier Sunnydale building, 9 of the 41 apartments marketed through DAHLIA went to Right to Return households, according to the City's loan evaluation.
The Building: What Is Included and What Is Not
The shared spaces come with the rent, and 17 lottery households get a free parking space.
- Shared spacesa bike room for 96 bikes, a central laundry room, a community lounge and kitchen, and two courtyards with a barbecue and a play structure.
- Parking17 of the garage's 73 spaces are for lottery households, one per household, offered in lottery rank order and reassigned by lottery each year after the first.
- Laundry in the apartmentMercy Housing's page lists in-unit washers and dryers in "select units" and does not say which.
- Smokingnot allowed.
- Accessibilityfour lottery apartments have mobility features and two have features for hearing impairment. The listing says all apartments are designed with mobility in mind.
- Energythe architects describe all-electric utilities.
Source: DAHLIA listing; Mercy Housing's page for Luca; City loan evaluation; Kerman Morris Architects.
How to Apply Before 5 p.m. on October 22
You apply online through DAHLIA, one application per household, and a computer ranks the applications at random after the deadline, so applying early does not improve your place.
- 1Create a DAHLIA accountat housing.sfgov.org, in English, Spanish, Chinese or Filipino.
- 2Open the listingfind Luca and check your household size and income against the tables above.
- 3Answer the income questionsgive income before taxes, and say yes if you have a Section 8 voucher or another subsidy.
- 4Claim every preference you qualify forRight to Return if anyone in your household lives or lived in Sunnydale public housing. Keep proof dated within 45 days.
- 5Submit once, by 5 p.m. on October 22, 2026DAHLIA removes every application that shares a person with another one.
- 6Save your lottery numberresults are looked up by it.
The listing record shows online applications only. For help, the City's guide points to housing counselors at homeownershipsf.org.
- October 22, 2026, 5 p.m.applications close.
- November 12, 2026, 11 a.m.the City runs the lottery online. You do not need to attend.
- November 19, 2026complete results are posted on DAHLIA by 5 p.m.
- 3 weeks to a year laterthe range the City's guide gives for a leasing agent to reach you, in rank order.
- At the first interviewthe criteria say all household members must be present, and the $25 fee per adult is due.
- Spring 2027when Mercy Housing says construction ends.
What it means: a high rank is a place in line for 2027, so plan where you will live until then.
Source: DAHLIA listing and application text; Mercy Housing's page; the City's guide to applying (April 2026); the criteria.
- Photo ID. for every adult
- Birth certificates. for household members under 18
- Pay stubs. the last three months
- Bank statements. the last six, plus other asset statements
- Voucher or subsidy paperwork. your Section 8 voucher or subsidy letter
- Benefit statements. Social Security, SSI, unemployment or similar
- If self-employed. two years of tax returns with 1099 forms
- Landlord contact. for your rental history
- Preference proof. dated within 45 days of your application
Source: the City's guide, list for 100% affordable buildings; criteria, section VIII.
Watch outscreening comes after the lottery. The listing's grounds for denial are an eviction or a documented negative landlord reference in the past two years, or unpaid landlord or utility debt above $2,500 in the past twelve months, not counting medical bills and student loans. An open bankruptcy may also count. Mitigating circumstances are considered. You have 10 business days to request a review of a denial, or 14 calendar days if it rests on a criminal background check.
- Assetsno limit is stated, and all assets, including bank accounts, are verified.
- Studentsa household of only full-time students qualifies under limited exceptions.
- Waiting listcapped at 500 households in the listing. The criteria say it closes once the building is fully occupied.
The leasing office takes appointments at 628-303-3441 and luca@mercyhousing.org, Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday until 2 p.m. The listing gives no street address for it.
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.
- Which income chart appliesthe listing uses 60% on the tax-credit chart, and the criteria's table prints 60% on the City's chart.
- Three-bedroom household sizefour to seven people in the listing, four to five in the criteria's State chart.
- Move-in datethe City's dataset estimates completion on May 4, 2027.
- Permanent powerthe January 2025 loan evaluation said the utility could not supply the site until late 2028 and that an interim supply was being arranged. No later document read says how that was settled.
- Utility detailswhat the electric bill covers, and which apartments have washers and dryers.
If You Need an Apartment Sooner
The lottery decides a place in line for a building that is not finished, so keep other options moving.
1 bedroom, $1,200 a monthTenderloin, Outside NYCAccepts Section 8 (HCV) · VASH · EHV
1 bedroom, $3,335 a monthChinatown, Outside NYCAccepts Section 8 (HCV) · VASH · EHV
2 bedrooms, $3,500 a monthInner Richmond, Outside NYCAccepts Section 8 (HCV) · VASH · EHV
Listed by landlords who say which vouchers they accept. These are separate from the building above. See all San Francisco listings
- Voucher in hand: browse Section 8 apartments in San Francisco, or by size: two-bedrooms and three-bedrooms.
- No voucher yet: check which Section 8 waiting lists are open.
- Other lotteries: DAHLIA's rental listings show every open one.
- Buildings where you apply directly: see low-income apartments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Luca take Section 8?
Yes, in the 23 lottery apartments. DAHLIA says vouchers can be used, and all three rents are under SFHA's 2026 payment standard. The minimum income is two times your share of the rent.
How much is rent at Luca?
One-bedrooms rent for $1,749 a month, two-bedrooms for $2,101 and three-bedrooms for $2,426. Tenants also pay electricity, phone, TV cable and internet.
How much do you have to earn for Luca?
Without a voucher, at least $41,976 a year for a one-bedroom. The listing's maximum is $88,260 for one person and $126,060 for four; the criteria print a lower chart, so confirm with the leasing office.
When is the deadline, and when are results posted?
Applications close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The lottery is November 12 at 11 a.m., and DAHLIA posts complete results on November 19, 2026.
Is Luca the same building as Sunnydale Block 9?
Yes. Luca is the marketing name for Sunnydale Block 9, at 1652 Sunnydale Ave., San Francisco, CA 94134. Mercy Housing's page says it was "formerly Sunnydale 9," and DAHLIA lists it as Luca.
Who is ranked first in the Luca lottery?
Households with a member who lives or used to live in Sunnydale public housing, under the Right to Return preference. On October 6, 2026, 131 applications claimed it for the 23 apartments.
Is there parking at Luca?
Yes, for some. The listing sets aside 17 free spaces for lottery households, one per household, offered in lottery rank order and reassigned each year after the first.
Are the rents at Luca below market?
Yes. HUD's fiscal year 2027 figure for ZIP code 94134 is $2,680 for a one-bedroom, $3,250 for a two-bedroom and $4,150 for a three-bedroom. Each rent at Luca is at least $931 below the figure for its size.
Sources for this article (16)
- DAHLIA listing (housing.sfgov.org)
- Resident Selection Criteria (media.api.sf.gov)
- Mercy Housing's page for Luca (mercyhousing.org)
- 2026 payment standards (sfha.org)
- utility allowances (sfha.org)
- January 2025 loan evaluation (media.api.sf.gov)
- building permit (data.sf.gov)
- guide to applying (sfplanning.org)
- October 30, 2025 release (sf.gov)
- rule (ecfr.gov)
- California Civil Rights Department (calcivilrights.ca.gov)
- Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
- Kerman Morris Architects (kermanmorris.com)
- housing.sfgov.org (housing.sfgov.org)
- homeownershipsf.org (homeownershipsf.org)
- rental listings (housing.sfgov.org)
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