The Kelsey
The Kelsey is a national 501c3 nonprofit that develops mixed-income affordable housing with 25% of units reserved for people with disabilities and publishes open-source Inclusive Design Standards to advance cross-disability accessibility across the multifamily housing industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Kelsey does
The Kelsey is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco that develops and operates disability-forward affordable housing while running a national advocacy and standards-setting program. The organization builds mixed-income multifamily communities with 25% of units reserved for people with disabilities, and currently supports 660 homes across projects including the 115-unit Kelsey Ayer Station in San Jose (opened ~2023), the 112-unit Kelsey Civic Center in San Francisco (opened April 2025), the 52-unit Kelsey Avondale in Birmingham, and 51-unit Poppleton East in Omaha. Its signature intellectual product is the Inclusive Design Standards, a freely distributed framework of more than 300 elements covering housing design, operations, leasing, and resident services, paired with a downloadable Excel-based self-certification tool and an Inclusive Design Council of ten members living with disability.
Beyond real estate development, The Kelsey functions as a policy and advocacy organization, co-chairing the national Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities Housing Task Force, leading state-level Disability-Forward Housing Working Groups in California and Alabama, and partnering with US Senator Bob Casey on the bipartisan VITAL Act to embed disability-forward reforms within the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Its Learn Center resource library and storytelling programs distribute toolkits, policy guides, and resident narratives to advocates, developers, and policymakers nationwide.
Funding flows through a diversified mix of channels: a tiered individual giving program (The Neighborhood recurring givers up to Cornerstone Builders at $1M+), major foundation and corporate grants (Google $5.3M predevelopment loan, CZI, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, FHL Bank San Francisco, Weinberg Foundation, Draper Richards Kaplan), government grants and tax-credit equity (San Jose Housing Department $11.2M, JPMorganChase $51M construction financing for Civic Center plus $76M/$53M for 1064 Mission, federal Section 811 supportive housing programs), and earned media amplification through outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, and PBS NewsHour. With 10,000+ community leaders engaged and over $207M in cumulative capital unlocked, the organization's model pairs on-the-ground development with ecosystem and policy influence designed to scale disability-forward housing nationwide.
The Kelsey firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Kelsey
- Legal name
- The Kelsey
- Website
- https://thekelsey.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Kelsey is a national 501c3 nonprofit that develops mixed-income affordable housing with 25% of units reserved for people with disabilities and publishes open-source Inclusive Design Standards to advance cross-disability accessibility across the multifamily housing industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Kelsey industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Affordable Housing Development
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)
- SIC
- Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Housing Development, Construction & Rehabilitation Programs (BPAIANAB)
Keywords
Where The Kelsey is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Kelsey business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Kelsey operates as a 501c3 nonprofit organization (EIN 84-2909645) funded primarily through donations. They have established giving networks including The Neighborhood (recurring givers), Groundbreakers ($25,000+ pledges), Developers ($100,000+), Builders ($250,000+), and Cornerstone Builders ($1M+). Donations are tax-deductible.
- Government Grants and Tax Credit Financing: Significant funding from government sources including construction financing from JPMorganChase ($51M for Civic Center, $76M for 1064 Mission plus $53M tax credit equity), and $11.2M awarded from San Jose Housing Department for The Kelsey Ayer Station. Federal housing programs including Section 811 provide ongoing support.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Major grants from Google ($5.3M predevelopment loan), CZI for advocacy efforts, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, FHL Bank San Francisco, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation support operations and specific initiatives.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Kelsey product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Kelsey is a national 501c3 nonprofit that develops and operates mixed-income, mixed-ability affordable housing communities with a portion of units reserved for people with disabilities. It also publishes the Inclusive Design Standards, a framework of over 300 design and operations elements for disability-forward housing, and runs policy advocacy and capacity-building programs to advance disability-forward housing solutions nationally.
Product overview
The Kelsey is a national nonprofit organization pioneering disability-forward housing, operating as a housing developer and advocacy organization rather than a technology company. Its core offerings include the Inclusive Design Standards (a comprehensive set of over 300 design elements for accessible housing), the Learn Center (a free resource library with guides and tools), and disability-forward housing advocacy programs. The organization develops housing communities including The Kelsey Ayer Station (115 units in San Jose), The Kelsey Civic Center (112 units in San Francisco), The Kelsey Avondale (52 units in Birmingham), and Poppleton East (51 units in Omaha). The Inclusive Design Standards are available as free downloadable guidelines with an accompanying self-certification tool for developers and designers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kelsey Ayer Station A 115-unit fully inclusive mixed-ability, mixed-income housing community in downtown San Jose, California, operated by The Kelsey as its first housing project.
- Kelsey Civic Center A 112-unit disability-forward housing community in San Francisco located across from City Hall, with 25% of homes reserved for people with disabilities.
- Kelsey Avondale A planned 52-unit accessible housing project in Birmingham, Alabama featuring disability-forward design.
- Poppleton East A mixed-use affordable housing project in Omaha, Nebraska with 51 residential units, 28 of which are reserved for inclusive housing populations.
- Inclusive Design Standards A comprehensive framework of over 300 design and operations elements covering multifamily housing design, operations, leasing, and resident services to support cross-disability accessibility and inclusion. Distributed free to the housing industry.
- Inclusive Design Standards Self-Certification Tool A downloadable Excel-based scoring tool that allows housing developers and designers to certify their projects on the level of access and inclusion against The Kelsey's Inclusive Design Standards.
Quantifiable outcome
- 660 homes developed and supported across multiple states
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Kelsey
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Kelsey technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Kelsey partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Sares RegiscoreDevelopment partner for The Kelsey Ayer Station in San Jose. Joint development of 115 apartment homes.
- Mercy HousingcoreDevelopment partner for The Kelsey Civic Center in San Francisco. Joint development of 112 mixed-income homes.
- Mikiten ArchitecturecoreArchitecture firm led by Erick Mikiten, who lives with multiple disabilities. Key partner in developing Inclusive Design Standards. Provides project-specific technical assistance.
- WRNS StudiocoreArchitecture firm that designed The Kelsey Civic Center rendering and participated in design sessions.
- VTBS ArchitectscoreArchitecture firm working on The Kelsey Ayer Station schematic to full design development.
- Denver Human Services IDDEAS ProgramcoreCommissioned The Kelsey to conduct an assessment on barriers to housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Denver.
- CommonminorColiving company that partnered with The Kelsey on The Kelsey Civic Center. Shared intersection of coliving and inclusive living at capital markets summit.
- National Low Income Housing CoalitionflagshipMember of ACTION Campaign (2,400+ organizations). Co-chaired national Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities Housing Task Force.
- US Senator Bob CaseycoreCollaboration with Senator on the bipartisan Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act - federal legislation to embed disability-forward reforms within LIHTC.
- Inclusive Design CouncilcoreTen members from across the country, each living with disability, providing feedback and guidance on the Inclusive Design Standards. Available for project-specific technical assistance.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Kelsey competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Enterprise Community Partners: One of the largest US affordable housing nonprofits, combining development, lending, and policy advocacy. Operates at much greater scale than The Kelsey across multiple asset classes and geographies, but pursues a closely related mission of affordable and supportive housing.
- Habitat for Humanity International: Largest nonprofit affordable housing organization in the US. Differs in that it focuses on for-sale homeownership and volunteer-driven construction rather than multifamily rental, but shares the affordable housing mission and large-scale capital mobilization playbook.
Direct peers
- Beacon Communities: Affordable and mixed-income multifamily housing developer with explicit focus on accessibility and supportive housing. Comparable on unit type, resident population, and LIHTC-financed deal structure.
- BRIDGE Housing: California-based nonprofit affordable housing developer producing mixed-income multifamily rental housing. Closely comparable in geography, scale, and mission to The Kelsey's Bay Area developments, with overlapping development partners and capital sources.
- The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy organization whose California chapter (The Arc of California) awarded The Kelsey its Disability Innovation in Advocacy Award. Closely aligned on disability rights, community living, and Olmstead-aligned housing policy.
- Mercy Housing: National nonprofit affordable housing developer and co-development partner on The Kelsey Civic Center. Operates mixed-income, mixed-population affordable housing across the US and shares The Kelsey's mission of serving low-income and special-needs populations.
- Corporation for Supportive Housing: National nonprofit focused on developing and financing supportive housing for vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities. Operates a similar dual development-plus-policy model and shares funders such as FHL Bank San Francisco.
Others
- National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy coalition whose ACTION Campaign The Kelsey participates in. Comparable policy agenda around LIHTC reform and federal housing program funding; serves as an upstream advocacy counterpart rather than a direct developer competitor.
- Apple Housing Trust / Housing Trust Silicon Valley: Local housing finance and development partner that funds The Kelsey's Silicon Valley work. Comparable role as a nonprofit intermediary channeling public and private capital into affordable housing in the same Bay Area geography.
Regional players
- Common: Coliving operator that partnered with The Kelsey on The Kelsey Civic Center. Shares the mission of building inclusive, community-oriented housing, but operates a different for-profit business model and is more tech-operator than nonprofit developer.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Kelsey social profiles
Digital presenceThe Kelsey financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Kelsey leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Kelsey funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Kelsey M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Kelsey
What does The Kelsey do?
The Kelsey is a national 501c3 nonprofit that develops and operates mixed-income, mixed-ability affordable housing communities with a portion of units reserved for people with disabilities. It also publishes the Inclusive Design Standards, a framework of over 300 design and operations elements for disability-forward housing, and runs policy advocacy and capacity-building programs to advance disability-forward housing solutions nationally.
Is The Kelsey a public or private company?
The Kelsey is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Kelsey founded?
The Kelsey was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Kelsey based?
The Kelsey is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Kelsey make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Tax Credit Financing and corporate and Foundation Grants.
Who are The Kelsey's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Enterprise Community Partners and Habitat for Humanity International. Direct peers are Beacon Communities, BRIDGE Housing, The Arc of the United States, Mercy Housing and Corporation for Supportive Housing. Others are National Low Income Housing Coalition and Apple Housing Trust / Housing Trust Silicon Valley. Common is listed as a regional player.
Does The Kelsey have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Kelsey.
What industry is The Kelsey in?
The Kelsey's product category is Affordable Housing Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts), with a secondary code of BPAGALAM, Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech). Its NAICS code is 62412 and its SIC code is 6513.