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2w ago

San Francisco Pod-Housing Startup Places Deposit on Downtown Building for 400 Beds

The plan bets on office-to-residential conversion to serve renters priced out by soaring apartment costs.

Brownstone Shared Housing, the startup known for its cramped hostel-style housing rentals, is buying the building at 1049 Market St. in San Francisco, seen here on Dec. 4, 2025.
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Overview

  • Brownstone Shared Housing placed a first deposit on 1049 Market Street to convert the six-story building into as many as 400 sleeping pods.
  • CEO James Stallworth said monthly rates at the new site will exceed the $700 charged at Mint Plaza but will not top $1,000.
  • The startup aims to open the downtown location in summer 2026, pending change-of-use approvals and renovations.
  • The company continues running about two dozen pods at 12 Mint Plaza and reports hundreds of inquiries from prospective renters.
  • The expansion targets demand created by San Francisco’s roughly $3,065 median rent, which analysts link to an AI-driven influx of high-paid workers.