Investing in Community Life at Covia Affordable Communities

Covia owns and operates Affordable Communities that are home to residents around the Bay Area. Exciting renovations that got underway late last year at two Covia Affordable Communities are at or near completion, and are highly anticipated by the residents and staff.

First built in 1927, Presidio Gate Apartments (PGA) in San Francisco, was originally known as the Protestant Episcopal Old Ladies Home and was extensively renovated and reopened in 1985. The campus is undergoing extensive refurbishment today including a new roof, exterior painting, replacing security camera and entry access systems, new landscaping, and interior refurbishment of common areas.

“The roof was over 30 years old, the paint was beginning to peel and crack, and the common areas were really starting to show their age,” says Karim Sultan, Vice President of Affordable Housing. “Since we had the funding to take on this work now, we were eager to get it done.” To date, the roof work, painting, and security camera/entry systems work have been completed, and the community has recently received permit approval from the City of San Francisco for the landscaping work. David Dolan, who served as PGA’s Housing Administrator during this project, says, “The final phase will be the interior refurbishment, and we are working with a designer to select furnishings, carpet and wall colors. Residents are very appreciative of the work that has been done to date. I am thrilled to be a part of helping improve their quality of life! As I retire, this is a great way to celebrate the end of my tenure at Presidio Gates.”

At Oak Center Towers (OCT) in Oakland, new flooring, paint, fixtures, and lighting were installed in common areas and offices. New common-area restrooms and the community room received a dramatic facelift. “The community room is home to our annual Thanksgiving luncheon and nearly all of our activities and events, and the residents are excited to be able to make it their own once communal activities can begin again,” says Aytoya Albert, OCT’s Housing Administrator. “Although the pandemic derailed our plan of a grand re-opening, we have received so much positive feedback from residents and visitors who are delighted with the new look.”