Find Affordable Rentals

Below are resources to help you find affordable rental housing in South San Francisco and throughout the region.

Regional Housing Search!

Search for affordable rental housing in San Mateo County, as well as in other counties throughout the region, by visiting the Doorway housing portal. At Doorway you can create an account, apply for units and waitlists, and save searches so that you are notified when a unit affordable to your household becomes available. 

Click here to visit Doorway

San Mateo County Housing Authority

The San Mateo County Housing Authority oversees federally-subsidized units throughout the County and administers the County's Section 8 voucher program. To join waitlists, apply for units, and learn more about these programs, visit www.mysmchousing.com. Applicants needing technical or translation assistance can leave a message on the County's waiting list hotline to receive a call back, 650-802-3300.

Home Sharing Program

HIP Housing's Home Sharing Program helps match individuals seeking housing with people who have a room or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to rent. For more information about the program, call 650-348-6660 or visit the HIP website.

Additional Resources

Affordable housing developers build affordable rental housing aimed at a variety of incomes. Please visit the websites below to see if units are currently available.

Current Affordable Rental Units & Waitlists 

Magnolia Plaza | Wait List Open

Reserved for Seniors 62+

Applicants are applying for an open waitlist and not a currently vacant apartment.

Eligible applicants will be placed on the waitlist. When vacancies become available, applicants will contacted by the property manager on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are contacted by the property manager, all of the information that you have provided will be verified and your eligibility confirmed.

Housing preferences, if applicable, will affect waitlist order.

Unit Type Minimum Income Rent Availability
1 BR $3,810 per month $1,905 per month Open Waitlist
2 BR $4,428 per month $2,214 per month Open Waitlist

Household Maximum Income

For income calculations, household size includes everyone (all ages) living in the unit.

Household Size Maximum Income / Month Maximum Income / Year
1 $8,700 per month $104,400 per year
2 $9,947 per month $119,360 per year
3 $11,187 per month $134,240 per year
4 $12,427 per month $149,129 per year
5 $13,427 per month $161,120 per year

More information about Magnolia Plaza

Grand and Linden Apartments | Wait List Open

Grand and Linden will be affordable to families making 80 percent or less of the San Mateo County Area Median Income. The development will include a combination of retail spaces, an outdoor courtyard, laundry room, bike room, elevator, parking garage with EV charging stations, fitness center, resident rooftop terrace and so much more!

Rent

  • 1 Bedroom: $2,714/ MO
    Only one bedroom units available at this time.

Maximum Annual Income Limit

  • 1 person: $104,080
  • 2 people: $118,960
  • 3 people: $133,840
  • 4 people: $148,640
  • 5 people: $160,560

*Rent and Income Limits subject to change*

To qualify for an apartment, an applicant must income qualify, be approved, pass credit and background checks, have a positive landlord reference, and must execute a 12-month lease within 15 days of certificate of occupancy. Income qualifications and rental amounts are approximate and change on an annual basis.

More information about Grand and Linden Apartments

Sundial Apartments | Wait List Open

The Sundial is a mixed-use development in South San Francisco consisting of 11 studio apartments above a ground-floor restaurant. Prior to its acquisition and rehabilitation by MidPen Housing Corp., The Sundial was a residential hotel with five double rooms, 15 single rooms, four shared bathrooms and two shared showers. MidPen completely renovated and rehabilitated the hotel and restaurant with financial assistance provided by the County of San Mateo and the City of South San Francisco. The Sundial’s studio apartments now feature kitchenettes and private bathrooms for all apartments. Residents may park their vehicles in the lot adjacent to the building for a nominal monthly fee. Additionally, a vibrant retail neighborhood surrounds this residential community.

For Sundial application information, please contact the leasing office at:

(650) 616-4570
sundial@midpen-housing.org

Address:
215 4th Lane
South San Francisco, CA 94080-7500

Housing Authority | Wait List Openings and Extensions

To request waiting lists, visit the Rent Café PHA portal at www.mysmchousing.com . Applicants needing technical or translation assistance can leave a message on our waiting list hotline to receive a call back, 650-802-3300.

Senior Housing | Opportunities

Magnolia Plaza

BRIDGE Housing is opening the waitlist for affordable senior housing at Magnolia Plaza senior apartments. BRIDGE, who operates it, confirmed that waitlist is open through April 14th. For this building, if you go to its Doorway posting you can apply online or paper applications can be downloaded in four different languages.

These paper apps need to be returned to the Magnolia Plaza office on-site (630 Baden Ave.), and paper applications are also available there from 1-4pm each day and the office can be contacted at (650) 588-8350.

The Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo (HACSM) announced that it will be accepting online applications for eight of its Project-Based senior complexes.

Interested parties may apply online at www.mysmchousing.com during the opening period. New applicants will need to create an account at www.mysmchousing.com (RentCafe), the HACSM application portal. Applicants who already have an account with RentCafe may use the same account and log in information to apply online.

Many of the rental housing resources above have listings for affordable, senior housing. Please consult the resources above.

See the waiting lists(PDF, 681KB) for further information regarding the properties and application process.

Lesley Senior Communities provides affordable senior housing in San Mateo County. For more information, visit the Lesley Senior Communities website or call (650) 726-4888.

Rotary Plaza is a new, senior, affordable housing project under construction in South San Francisco. The waitlist is now closed, but to inquire about future housing opportunities or to learn more, visit the Rotary Plaza website or call 925-924-7285.

Senior Living Help is an organization that provides senior living assistance to the elderly. Senior Living Help assists California senior citizens, their family members and caregivers in finding appropriate senior living and care facilities. To learn more about Senior Living Help and their free services, please visit the Senior Living Help website.

New Housing Construction

There are a number of housing developments that are recently built, under construction, or anticipated to be under construction soon in South San Francisco. Click here to see the Development and Construction Map (this map includes residential, commercial, and industrial projects).

If you are interested in housing at any of the residential buildings, please contact the project manager or developer directly.