Victorian, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Beaux-Arts, Mission Revival, all of these architectural styles and more symbolize the charm of San Francisco. Each of California’s major cities, including Oakland and Los Angeles—have a similar situation. It’s these older historic buildings that punctuate the landscape of their renown neighborhoods, reflecting diversity and history, and among the contributing factors for why they are regularly named among the best cities.
The issue with these older buildings is that they need maintenance work to improve them and ensure they meet modern codes and requirements. Preserving older buildings is also environmentally responsible, as it’s more environmentally friendly to rehabilitate existing structures and maintain and improve them rather than destroying and replacing them. Rehabilitating them to their original—or improved—appearance not only adds character but makes it better in the long-term for the local community and residents who need affordable and centrally located housing options.
Affordable Housing Dependent on Maintaining and Rehabilitating Older Buildings
In California’s urban regions, there is a housing crisis that is largely the product of rising rents and insufficient housing supply. But these aging buildings are part of the answer. M3 is a major proponent of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). M3 has been creating quality workforce housing opportunities for working people in California since the 1950s. With its deep community roots, the company prioritizes its involvement into highly diverse neighborhoods where it can improve affordable housing options for those who live there. The company renovates and upgrades all aspects of aging residential units to bring new quality systems and finishes to classic properties. And then offers them as reasonably priced, workforce housing, providing current tenants with updated residences with minimal displacement.
There is a significant community and social impact delivered through housing improvements, revitalization of neighborhoods, working with local organizations that push towards bettering the community and supporting local business growth in these neighborhoods that otherwise are under-improved and often neglected.
Maintaining and rehabilitating older buildings means tending to foundation issues, deteriorating roofs, old boilers, outdated electrical, plumbing problems, energy inefficiency, tired finishes and general beautification needs. It also means dealing with contractors, noise and finding ways to minimize any short-term annoyance to residents. It’s a balancing act.
The Need and the Nuisance of Construction Projects
M3’s intention is to do best by residents — and sometimes unforeseen issues that need to be addressed are uncovered while maintaining and rehabilitating these older buildings. Our process is to keep residents in the know and updated, always be mindful that it’s the residents’ community were working to improve, and work with them to understand the noise and construction is a short-term part of the process while ensuring a long-term quality living environment.
Our calling to preserve these buildings and homes, while providing affordable workforce options in California’s expensive urban area is not the easiest path—though it’s an important one. It contributes to residents’ housing options and the long-term growth and sustainability of the community. This balancing act of revitalization while minimizing the impact on residents is essential and delicate work that we work on mastering every day.
