A former Outer Mission motel is now a home for a young community.
Deani Lyons and Adrian Garcia have had their lives changed by living in the Outer Mission.
The young adults live in Casa Colibrí, a supportive housing facility for transitional-age youth in the former Mission Inn motel at 5630 Mission St.
Lyons, who was raised in Bayview and a City College of San Francisco student studying administration of justice. She said being a part of Casa Colibrí has helped her gain confidence and has shaped who she is today mentally and emotionally in a positive way through its abundance of resources.
“Confidence and love start with safety and support where you live, and I appreciate that this place always allows me not only to show who I am, but the whole community feels welcomed, respected and cared for,” Lyons said.
Casa Colibrí residents Deani Lyons and Adrian Garcia spoke at the open house. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
Garcia, whose speech was also translated from Spanish to English by Casa Colibrí project manager Alejandro Estrada, said he has felt seen, heard and supported during his time in the program.
“This place helps us regain our strength, heal and prepare for something better,” Garcia said.
The pair shared their stories at an open house on May 21 in front of the vibrant blue and yellow 50-unit facility for people between 18 and 26 years old and have graduated or left foster care.
City officials, community members and community-based organization representatives attended the event to celebrate the 2022 transformation into stable housing that offers mental health care, job training and case management resources for its tenants.
“This site is very essential because we are ensuring inclusiveness,” District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen said. “We are providing reliable, supportive resources that help all our young people [...] I also look forward to continuing to have the services provided in this welcoming, safe space with dignity, with care and with belonging.”
Mayor Daniel Lurie called the facility worthy of the young people it serves and proof that the city can “meet the moment” that his Breaking The Cycle Fund, which he launched last year, aims to provide.
“If we house a young person and leave them to figure it out alone, we have stabilized a short-term crisis, but we’ve failed in the long run,” Lurie said. “What makes Casa Colibrí different is that it combines housing with case management, mental health support and job readiness. It treats stability as a starting line, not a finish line.”
Construction was completed in 2025 by Plant Construction Company with the addition of office and support spaces, seismic retrofitting, conversion of new ADA units, renovations, electrification of the existing gas hot water systems and installation of new fire sprinkler systems.
This project was also a partnership between several community nonprofits, including Mission Action and Larkin Street Youth Services, with support from the city’s Homelessness and Supportive Housing department.
Mission Action Executive Director Laura Valdez described the programs as the very first stop for many young people on their transformative journeys, and she wished participants to always look back on their time here and see it as a stepping stone and as a reminder that they left the program stronger than when they came.
Casa Colibrí community advisory board chair Steven Depont-Kalani said the facility is not a homeless center but rather a vital transitional housing stepping stone.
Depont-Kalani found himself deeply involved in the Casa Colibrí project after working on District 11’s vehicle triage center, where unhoused individuals living in cars and RVs could safely park and get services.
“It’s just to get them up and running with permanent housing, schooling if they want to go to City College or trade school or on-the-job training,” Depont-Kalani told The Ingleside Light.
The project is one of a handful on the city’s south side.
“Meeting people’s basic needs should be a focal point before we start to address any of their other concerns in the city,” housing navigator for Larkin Street Youth Services, Winta Z., told The Light. “Having safe, secure spaces with case management and support goes a long way.”
