Instant Alert: A startup is turning old hotels into dorm-like housing for San Francisco’s forgotten middle class – here’s what it’s like inside

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   A startup is turning old hotels into dorm-like housing for San Francisco's forgotten middle class – here's what it's like inside by Caroline Cakebread on Dec 1, 2017, 12:18 PM Advertisement The booming tech industry has caused an ongoing housing crisis in San Francisco, and longtime middle-income residents have been forced out by sky-high housing costs.  A startup Starcity, is on a mission to alleviate the situation. Founded in 2016, the 18 person team is creating communal housing for middle income people who don't qualify for government subsidies, but still can't afford San Francisco's sky-high prices.  Starcity buys up defunct hotels, retail buildings, and parking garages, and turns them into dorm-like living spaces for the city's restaurant workers, teachers, and artists. According to founder Jon Dishotsky, fewer then 20% of residents work in tech.  Right now, Starcity runs two San Francisco locations — one in the Mission district and one in Soma. There's an 1800 person waiting list for the two open locations, and nine more locations are in the works. We visited the Mission location to see what it's like.  SEE ALSO: Go inside the hottest neighborhood in San Francisco, where home prices have risen 75% in the last 5 years The Mission Starcity was formally a residence hotel called the Yug, and other than a new paint job, the outside has remained the same. "We're not dropping a glass box in the community and walking away." said Dishotsky. The building's front room is reserved for the surrounding community. When the space first opened in May of 2017, it served as an art gallery for Mission-based artists. The surrounding neighborhood is characteristic of the Mission before the tech boom, and is filled with street vendors and mom and pop shops. Before opening a new building, Starcity reaches out to neighborhood groups to see who in the community is in need of housing. The goal is to build a bridge between the older generations in the city and the new ones – not divide them over $4 lattes.     See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011