“Which organizations help with low income housing applications in San Francisco?”

Here are trusted places in San Francisco that actively help low‑income residents complete affordable housing applications (including DAHLIA), gather documents, and navigate lotteries/waitlists:

• MOHCD’s DAHLIA Housing Counselors
• The City’s Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) funds a network of community housing counselors who provide free, one‑on‑one application help for DAHLIA listings. Start with the DAHLIA “Housing Counselors” page. (housing.sfgov.org)

• HomeownershipSF / Home SF counseling network
• City‑funded counselors who run regular application clinics (in multiple languages) and offer one‑on‑one DAHLIA assistance. Their calendar includes clinics with partners like Latino Task Force, Homeless Prenatal Program, and BALANCE. (homesanfrancisco.org)

• Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP)
• Drop‑in workshops and counseling focused on DAHLIA applications, lease‑up help, appeal/denial support, and case management. Counseling line is listed in recent community guides. (bishopsf.org)

• Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA)
• Free bilingual coaching through the DAHLIA process (rentals and related documentation) and ongoing renter support. (medasf.org)

• Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC)
• Housing counseling and clinics (with strong language support for monolingual residents) and help applying through DAHLIA when their buildings lease up. (chinatowncdc.org)

• San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC)
• Rental Readiness workshops and direct rental application assistance via their Financial Empowerment Center. (sfhdc.org)

• The Women’s Building
• Free, bilingual DAHLIA navigation and hands‑on help completing applications and assembling required documents. (womensbuilding.org)

• Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP)
• For families (including pregnant people): housing strategy, DAHLIA and rental application support, plus limited financial assistance (e.g., move‑in costs/arrears) when eligible. (homelessprenatal.org)

• SF Planning’s Housing Resources hub
• City page that points residents to affordable housing and how to get help from housing counselors for DAHLIA applications. (sfplanning.org)

Tips

• Bring current IDs, income proofs (pay stubs/benefit letters), household info, and any preference documentation (e.g., Certificate of Preference or Displaced Tenant Housing Preference) to appointments; counselors can tell you exactly what you need. (homesanfrancisco.org)
• If you prefer in‑person help, check the Home SF events calendar for upcoming application clinics at sites like Latino Task Force and HPP. (homesanfrancisco.org)

If you tell me your situation (household size, income range, language needs, and whether you’re looking for a specific neighborhood or senior/family/veteran housing), I can recommend the best first stop and help you prep a documents checklist.

Several San Francisco organizations help low-income residents apply for affordable housing, especially through DAHLIA, the City’s official housing portal for below-market-rate (BMR) and other affordable rentals and homeownership units.

Best starting point

Home SF is the City’s central hub for free housing counseling. It connects people with nonprofit counselors who can help with DAHLIA applications, the housing search, lottery preferences, and related paperwork.

• Phone: (415) 202-5464
• Email: info@homesanfrancisco.org
• Website: homesanfrancisco.org
• Counselor directory: sf.gov/find-housing-counselor

The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) also points people to these counselors and runs DAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org. For general housing questions, call MOHCD at (415) 701-5500 or email sfhousinginfo@sfgov.org. You can also call 311.

HUD-approved counseling agencies (via Home SF)

These agencies offer free or low-cost rental and ownership counseling, including help applying for affordable housing:

Other groups that help with applications

• Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) — Free DAHLIA application help, workshops, and drop-in counseling. Languages include English, Tagalog, Arabic, Spanish, and French. Phone: (415) 513-5177; email: counseling@bishopsf.org; 1338 Mission St., 3rd Floor. bishopsf.org
• The Women’s Building — Free bilingual (English/Spanish) DAHLIA navigation and application help, especially for immigrant women and families. Contact Gloria Larios at gloria@womensbuilding.org or (415) 651-7824 ext. 7228. womensbuilding.org
• Openhouse — Housing workshops and one-on-one navigation in an LGBTQ+-affirming setting, particularly for older adults and adults with disabilities. (415) 296-8995; openhousesf.org

Related help

If you are homeless or about to lose housing, start with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s Coordinated Entry access points rather than the BMR lottery alone. For eviction notices or tenant-landlord disputes, organizations such as the Housing Rights Committee, Eviction Defense Collaborative, Chinatown Community Development Center, and SOMCAN offer counseling (they are more focused on rights and eviction prevention than lottery applications).

Availability, hours, and languages can change, so call or check the organization’s site before you go. Bring proof that you live or work in San Francisco and any income documents if you are seeking DAHLIA help.

Several San Francisco organizations can help with low-income housing applications, especially if you need help finding listings, understanding eligibility, or completing forms. The most directly relevant ones are the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), housing counselors listed by the city, and community organizations such as Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) and Mission Housing.⁴¹³¹⁵

• Mayor’s Office of Housing & Community Development (MOHCD): provides the city’s affordable housing listings and application help through DAHLIA, the San Francisco housing portal.⁴¹⁵
• Housing counselors: the city says counselors can help with DAHLIA applications and housing searches.³¹⁵
• Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP): offers free support for affordable housing applications and drop-in counseling.¹
• Mission Housing: says its first step for people seeking housing in San Francisco is to enlist the aid of a housing counselor, and it helps residents navigate waitlists and resources.⁵
• SF Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC): provides housing-related support and serves low- and middle-income households.⁷
• Openhouse: helps seniors and adults with disabilities find affordable and low-income housing opportunities.²¹⁶
• Chinatown CDC: offers a housing waitlist hotline and application process support for its housing listings.¹⁰
• SF Planning / Housing Resources: says San Francisco residents can get assistance from a housing counselor and language support when applying for affordable housing.¹⁵

If you want, I can also give you a short list of the best organizations to contact first, depending on whether you need help with DAHLIA applications, eviction/rent help, or special populations like seniors, families with children, or people with disabilities.³¹⁵

Organizations That Help with Low-Income Housing Applications in San Francisco

1. Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP)

A community-based program (part of the Veterans Equity Center) specifically focused on application help. BiSHoP provides housing services for low to moderate income individuals, immigrants, veterans, seniors, the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disabilities, with free services including finding affordable housing, application assistance, case management, tenants' rights counseling, housing education & workshops, and advocacy. Their Drop-In Sessions are the best way to meet a counselor and get started with applying for affordable housing, held the first 2 Tuesdays of every month, including an Affordable Housing Basics Workshop and Housing Application Support session.

• 📞 (415) 513-5177 | counseling@bishopsf.org

2. San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA)

The mission of the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco is to deliver safe and decent housing for low-income households and integrate economic opportunity for residents. SFHA operates separate waiting lists for federal rental assistance programs including Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), Project-based Voucher, Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), and Public Housing.

• 📞 415-715-5200 | 1815 Egbert Avenue, SF

3. Openhouse SF (LGBTQ+ focused, especially for seniors)

Openhouse offers guidance to those seeking affordable housing in San Francisco, with primary housing services consisting of Housing & ADRC Drop-in Hours on Tuesdays from 10:00AM-2:00PM and 1-on-1 housing counseling appointments. They help seek assistance from a social worker, case manager, or other service provider who can assist with housing referrals and applications.

4. SF Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC)

SFHDC provides access to affordable, safe financial products and loan programs, and supports low- and moderate-income individuals in applying for affordable housing — it is a HUD-approved Local Housing Counseling Agency, one of only five in San Francisco. They also hold a Rental Readiness Night Clinic every 3rd Thursday, guiding people through the complexities of securing affordable housing in the Bay Area.

5. San Francisco Community Land Trust (SFCLT)

Helps connect applicants to housing opportunities via the city's DAHLIA lottery system, and lists other resources like BiSHoP and HomeownershipSF. HomeownershipSF serves as a centralized resource for affordable homeownership opportunities and foreclosure intervention education/counseling in San Francisco.

6. Chinatown Community Development Center

They assist community members dealing with eviction, rent increases, repair and maintenance issues, translation and filing of forms and documents, availability of affordable housing, and tenant's rights education — offering assistance in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

7. Catholic Charities CYO

Catholic Charities CYO also provides financial assistance with move-in costs for low-income individuals.

8. Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD)

The city agency overseeing affordable housing programs. MOHCD helps low- and middle-income people in San Francisco stay in their homes and not get evicted, and runs the DAHLIA housing portal where most affordable rental and ownership applications are submitted. They also oversee the SF Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) for one-time help with back rent or security deposits.

9. Eviction Defense Collaborative (EDC)

Offers low-income housing classes covering eligibility, Section 8, caregivers/roommates, waiting lists, and placement help for special concerns, in addition to housing referrals, deposit and back rent assistance, tenant's rights counseling, credit counseling, and supportive employment for disabled people with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco.

10. Rental Assistance / Emergency Help Partners

Through the city's SoS Program, several nonprofits help with applications for rental assistance: La Voz Latina, Project Homeless Connect, St. Anthony Foundation, and YCD Housing Services.

💡 Tip for getting started: Most affordable housing applications in SF go through the DAHLIA housing portal (housing.sfgov.org), but the organizations above—especially BiSHoP and SFHDC—specialize in walking applicants through that lottery/application process step-by-step, including document prep and eligibility questions.

In San Francisco, affordable and low-income housing applications—most notably through DAHLIA (the San Francisco Housing Portal) and Below-Market-Rate (BMR) programs—are supported by a network of city-funded, nonprofit Housing Counseling Agencies.

These organizations offer free one-on-one appointments, drop-in clinics, and workshops to help assemble documents, submit lottery applications, and navigate waitlists:

1. General & Neighborhood-Based Housing Counseling

• Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP): Highly recommended for direct rental help. They host weekly drop-in clinics to help residents navigate DAHLIA, complete applications, and check waitlist statuses.
• Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA): Based in the Mission District, MEDA provides housing counseling, application clinics, and financial coaching (services available in English and Spanish).
• San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC): A HUD-approved agency serving District 10 / Bayview-Hunters Point and citywide. They host "Rental Readiness" clinics to help tenants apply for subsidized units.
• ASIAN, Inc.: A HUD-approved counseling agency that provides language-accessible counseling and assistance with both rental lotteries and first-time homebuyer programs (English, Cantonese, and Mandarin).
• Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC): Assists low-income and monolingual residents in Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods with affordable housing waitlists and application paperwork.
• Young Community Developers (YCD): Offers housing stabilization and application assistance primarily for residents in the Bayview and Southeast sectors of the city.

2. Specialized Population Housing Services

• For LGBTQ+ Individuals & Seniors:
• Openhouse: Focuses on LGBTQ+ older adults, providing one-on-one housing navigation and DAHLIA lottery assistance.
• SF LGBT Center: Hosts housing workshops and offers individual counseling to navigate affordable housing options.
• For Seniors:
• Self-Help for the Elderly: Helps low-income seniors locate and apply for senior-subsidized apartments and HUD-202 properties.
• Bayview Senior Services: Provides housing search and application support targeted at seniors in Southeast SF.
• For Families & Parents:
• Compass Family Services: Assists families who are unhoused or at risk of homelessness with housing navigation, vouchers, and placement.
• Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP): Supports low-income and pregnant families with housing search assistance, stabilization, and applications.
• For People with Disabilities:
• Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco (ILRCSF): Offers information and advocacy to help individuals with disabilities find and apply for accessible, affordable housing.

3. City Agencies & Portals

• DAHLIA (San Francisco Housing Portal): Visit housing.sfgov.org to view open rental lotteries, upcoming housing developments, and eligibility criteria.
• Home SF / MOHCD Housing Counselor Directory: The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development maintains an up-to-date filterable directory of certified counselors based on language and location at housing.sfgov.org/housing-counselors.
• San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA): Oversees Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and project-based voucher waitlists.
• SF 311: Dial 3-1-1 within San Francisco to be directed to immediate housing assistance, emergency shelter access, or referral services.

Tip for Getting Started: Before meeting with any counselor, gather key verification documents: government-issued IDs, proof of total household income (W-2s, 2–3 recent pay stubs, or benefit statements like SSI/SSDI/CalWORKs), and recent bank statements.

Several San Francisco organizations help with low-income/affordable housing applications:

• Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) — free housing counseling and application support for affordable housing in SF. Drop-in sessions are the first 2 Tuesdays of the month at 1338 Mission St., Floor 3: Affordable Housing Basics 10–11 AM, then Housing Application Support 11 AM–12:30 PM and 2:15–4:30 PM. Languages include English, Arabic, French, and limited Spanish. Contact: (415) 513-5177 or counseling@bishopsf.org. BiSHoP notes it does not provide immediate/emergency housing. bishopsf.org

• MOHCD / DAHLIA Housing Portal — the city’s affordable housing application system. Housing counselors can help with your DAHLIA application and housing search, and the site has lottery videos and a document checklist. MOHCD contacts: English (415) 701-5622, Español (415) 701-5624, 中文 (415) 701-5623, Filipino (415) 701-5570; sfhousinginfo@sfgov.org. For listing-specific questions, contact the agent on the listing. housing.sfgov.org

• Excelsior Works! — helps with Below Market Rate housing applications and California/San Francisco rental assistance applications, plus referrals for eviction defense and immigrant/workers’ rights legal support. Spanish services are available by appointment: 415-857-9656 or admin@excelsiorworks.org, Monday–Thursday 10 AM–4 PM. excelsiorworks.org

Also useful: if you receive eviction papers, contact the Eviction Defense Collaborative as soon as possible at legal@evictiondefense.org or 415-659-9184. If you are currently unhoused, BiSHoP recommends starting with the SF Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing and Project Homeless Connect. bishopsf.org

I'll search for San Francisco organizations that assist with low-income housing applications.

I've identified several candidate organizations; now I'll open their pages to verify the details.

In San Francisco, most low-income rental and purchase opportunities are applied for through DAHLIA – San Francisco Housing Portal:

MOHCD assists renters to: - Find and apply for current rental listings online on DAHLIA - Get help from a housing counselor

The program is:

managed through the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD).

For general inquiries, contact MOHCD at (415) 701-5500.

1. City agencies

Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD)

• Oversees affordable housing programs, including BMR rentals and ownership opportunities.
• Supports residents with affordable housing opportunities and essential services to build strong communities.
• Provides written DAHLIA application instructions with YouTube tutorials, plus homeownership and rental housing counseling services.

San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA)

• Subsidized housing voucher program for assisting very low-income residents renting in the private market.
• Operated at the federal level by the San Francisco Housing Authority

The Housing Authority uses community partners to help complete online applications:

The following community partners will be available to assist applicants in completing their online applications during the waitlist opening: - Mercy Housing California - San Francisco Housing Development Corporation - Shanti Project

Other waitlist partners named include:

Chinatown Community Development Center Mercy Housing California San Francisco Housing Development Corporation Shanti Project Samoan Community Development Center

2. HomeownershipSF / Home SF – HUD-approved counseling agencies

All participating non-profit housing counseling agencies are members of Home SF: 275 5th St, Suite 314 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 202-5464

Home SF member agencies are:

Asian Inc, Balance, Mission Economic Development Agency, San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, and the San Francisco LGBT Community Center

The City lists them as:

HUD-approved housing counseling agencies Asian, Inc. (English, Cantonese and Mandarin) 1167 Mission Street, 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 928-5910 Balance (formerly known as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco) (English, Spanish, Tagalog, Russian) 3543 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (800)777-7526 Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) (English and Spanish) 2301 Mission St, Suite 301 (3rd Floor) San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 282-3334 Ext: 115 San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 865-5555

What they do:

These agencies have counselors who can work with you at any step in the process.

Meet one-on-one with a housing counselor to discuss your rental or purchasing goals and get application assistance.

Application Support With San Francisco rental and homeownership opportunities including listings on DAHLIA San Francisco Housing Portal.

Information about Below Market Rate rentals, home sharing and other affordable rental programs.

Specifically for Spanish-speaking families:

For Spanish-speaking families, MEDA is another good option for rental or housing preparedness needs. They can get help with applications.

3. BMR rental workshops and 1-on-1 help

SF LGBT Center:

Join our Below Market Rate (BMR) & Affordable Rental Workshops to learn more about the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development’s (MOHCD’s) BMR Rental Program you’ll learn how to calculate your household size and income and apply for listings online through the San Francisco Housing Portal DAHLIA

The Center also offers 1-on-1 rental counseling , where a household creates their Spending Plan with a housing counselor

We are partnered with Openhouse to assist with applications through the DAHLIA Portal, navigate the lottery process, complete annual renewals, and answer any questions about the program.

Contact for counseling: Please email [email protected] to request 1-on-1 rental counseling.

San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC):

We are a HUD-certified counseling agency that provides free and low-cost financial and housing counseling to low- and moderate-income households from throughout the city.

SFHDC offers workshops to:

Understand how the DAHLIA Housing Lottery works

4. Other nonprofits that help navigate DAHLIA / lotteries

MOHCD refers applicants to City-sponsored community-based organizations for housing counseling support:

These organizations, such as HomeSF, Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services, Bill Sorro Housing Program, and BALANCE, among others, provide assistance with navigating the DAHLIA lottery application process

The LGBT Center also lists nonprofit developers whose homes generally also go through the DAHLIA portal:

San Francisco Housing Development Corp (SFHDC) Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp (TNDC) Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC) Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) Bridge Housing Mercy Housing Mission Housing Development Corp (MHDC) Community Housing Partnership (CHP)

If you tell me your household size, income, language need, or senior / disability / HIV / veteran status, I can narrow which of these counselors to contact first.