Satellite Housing provides affordable, service-enriched housing that promotes healthy and dignified living for people with limited options.

For 44 years, Satellite Housing’s mission is to provide affordable, service-enriched housing that promotes healthy and dignified living for people with limited options. We are a non-profit organization committed to serving the region’s lowest income seniors, families, and adults with mental illness and disabilities. We currently serve approximately 1,650 people in 1,550 units.

Satellite Housing’s portfolio consists of twenty-five affordable housing communities, twenty-two of which have been funded by HUD programs. With a long-term commitment to each property, Satellite focuses on developing housing that is well-integrated into its community, both in design and programming. With diverse communities in both urban and suburban neighborhoods, Satellite continues to fulfill its mission and founding principles by striving to meet the unmet housing and service needs of low-income residents throughout the Bay Area. Satellite has developed all of its communities with funding from the HUD Section 236, 202, 811 programs, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, local nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, foundations, and commercial banks.

Satellite currently employs 120 staff at the various sites, including accountants, administrators, project managers, property supervisors, maintenance crews, custodial personnel, resident service coordinators, and van drivers. A twelve-member Board of Directors guides the progress and direction of Satellite’s mission.

Our organization supports three major functions: housing development, property management, and resident services.

Satellite prides itself as an innovative community builder. We believe that true homes are more than a roof overhead; they are spaces of comfort, beauty, and community. The Housing Development Department oversees all aspects of project development and has received many accolades for our work in incorporating cutting-edge “green” and universal design features in our properties. Housing Development oversees not only new developments, but rehabilitations of our existing properties, intended to preserve our properties as stable community centers in their neighborhoods.

With each community, Satellite focuses on the following goals: creative financing that maximizes state and federal sources and minimizes the local contribution; inclusion of underserved special needs populations; attractive, efficient design that is sensitive to the needs of the elderly and those with special needs; developing communities through true partnerships with service agencies and advocacy organizations; well-designed community spaces that have a connection to outdoor space; computer labs for resident use, and a comprehensive and culturally competent supportive services plan.

Satellite Housing has a long-term commitment to the financial health and integrity, maintenance, and quality of our properties and an even stronger commitment to our residents. Staff is responsible for providing a wide range of services, including day-to-day maintenance, large-scale improvements, and comprehensive screening of prospective residents. Satellite is able to maintain the viability of its properties through its central management system, which helps staff efficiently address a myriad of issues that can arise on a
day-to-day basis.

As a testament to the quality of our property management services, Satellite has recently expanded to act as a property manager and service provider for other owners, and we are proud to extend our high-quality residential and support services to hundreds of residents.

While the affordability and quality of Satellite’s housing are crucial to the well-being of our residents, the seniors, families, and developmentally disabled residents we serve need on-site social services to live as fruitfully as possible. Each of our properties is staffed with resident service coordinators who provide one-to-one non-clinical case management, and each property delivers a comprehensive array of programs – including van transportation, exercise classes and community gardening—designed to help residents form and strengthen social connections, develop new skills and maintain the best possible physical, emotional, and cognitive health.

As a mid-sized nonprofit, Satellite is able to focus and provide individualized attention to each of its properties in a unique hands-on, face-to-face approach. Interactions between senior staff, residents, family members, site staff, and advocacy groups occur frequently and Satellite staff prides itself on its openness, inclusivity, and accessibility. The organization makes a strong commitment to the financial health, maintenance, and quality of all of its communities and follows a mantra that each development should be of high enough quality for one’s own mother or father.

All of Satellite Housing developments serve residents at or below 30-60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) with a majority targeting extremely low-income seniors and people with developmental disabilities through rental subsidy contracts directly with HUD or the local housing authority. Through a project rental assistance contract (PRAC) or housing assistance payment (HAP) contract, residents are required to pay only thirty percent of their adjusted monthly income. Most seniors and people with developmental disabilities are on fixed incomes and Satellite’s current residents earn an average income of $11,000/year. Satellite Housing’s senior housing developments are restricted according to federal guidelines of 62 and older or state regulations of 55 and older depending on the primary funding source.

Interested in joining the Satellite Team? Check out our job opportunities.

To view Satellite Housing's 2008-2009 Report to the Community, please click here.