Mission District Home Offered to Artists for $425,000 by a Land Trust; Apply by November 22

A three-bedroom home in the Mission District is for sale to an artist household for $425,000, and applications are open through November 22, 2026. The unit, called Celadon House, is offered by Artist Space Trust and Northern California Land Trust as permanently affordable housing, according to the application page. The SF Examiner reported on October 12 that the property was appraised at $2.6 million in 2025 and came to the trust through an anonymous donation from a local artist.

The Home

The unit is a three-bedroom, one-bathroom tenancy-in-common home on the second floor of a walk-up, with a renovated kitchen and bathroom, in-unit laundry, a backyard courtyard and an unfinished basement. The Examiner places it on Adair Street, near the 16th St. Mission BART station and the Roxie Theater. Because it is sold through a community land trust, the home stays affordable for future buyers.

Who Can Apply

The trust lists these requirements:

An active artistic practice. At least one primary adult applicant must identify as an artist. The trust says it does not judge the work by quality, quantity or commercial success.

Income at or below 80 percent of area median income. The 2026 limits by household size are $134,500 for two people, $151,300 for three, $168,100 for four, $181,550 for five, $195,000 for six and $208,450 for seven. Households must have at least two and no more than seven people.

First-time buyer. In general, no ownership of a primary residence in the past three years.

Down payment and mortgage. Buyers contribute at least 3 percent of the price, about $15,000, and gift funds count. Up to $100,000 in down payment assistance may be available. Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco is the only approved mortgage lender for the property, and applicants must qualify with it.

Education and visits. All adult buyers need an 8-hour HUD-certified homebuyer course completed within the last two calendar years. Applicants also attend a virtual info session and an open house.

How the Lottery Works

The process starts with a screening form, then a full application. After November 22, complete applications go into a lottery for a random ranking. Applicants who live or work in San Francisco, or who can document a meaningful connection to the Mission District, move up in the ranking; you do not need either to apply. Review and selection runs from December 2 to February 15, 2027, and the trust plans to send a purchase offer and close by April 1, 2027.

Why It Matters

Artist Space Trust is a joint program of Vital Arts and Northern California Land Trust. The Examiner reports this is its first sale and that the trust’s goal is 300 artist sites by 2036. Vital Arts formed after the 2016 Ghost Ship fire in Oakland. Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission, told the Examiner, “We won’t have any more artists here without affordable housing for them to live in.”

For more on housing policy in the city, see our report on 147 public properties San Francisco could weigh for affordable housing, and our Mission District guide.

Photo: Artist Space Trust.