Housing needs demand group effort
By: Joshua Sabatini
June 14, 2009
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Facing an uphill battle in the long-running fight to provide ample affordable housing in The City — a challenge only exacerbated by the recession — officials are now thinking more creatively to figure out how people can afford to live in San Francisco.
Supporting situations where tenants share one kitchen, landlords offering renters free monthly Muni passes and employers advocating or even putting money up for housing projects are among the fresh strategies being considered.
They are included in The City’s working update of its state-required housing element, a report laying out a plan to meet the anticipated demand. San Francisco has failed to build enough affordable housing in previous years and believes the shortfall will continue in coming years.
The City “will not likely” construct the 31,000 new housing units by the end of 2014, with 12,000 affordable for low- and very-low income levels, according to an updated draft of the housing element. Among housing challenges is a “gap of options” for middle-income households, which also puts “pressure on housing stock for lower-income households,” the report said.
San Francisco should support “cooperative housing types as a form of market-based lower cost housing.” Types include “cohousing, in which individual households band together in cooperative living, using things like common kitchens, community rooms, open space and even personal transportation such as shared cars and bicycles.”
One of the biggest hurdles to affordable housing is having enough money. The City “should foster stronger housing advocacy among employers.” Companies have a vested interest in housing projects because without adequate accommodations they “have a more difficult time attracting employees,” and their workers’ performance suffers due to “long and stressful commutes.”
The City should connect large employers with housing developers so they can help provide funds for development projects, according to the report.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on the draft of the housing element. A final version is scheduled for review this winter.
Little boxes on the hillsides
Housing in San Francisco:
31,000 New units needed by the end of 2014 to meet demand
18,960 Units created since 2000
47 Percentage of affordable-housing production met
38.4 Estimated percentage of owner-occupied units
61.6 Estimated percentage of rental units
Sources: Draft housing element for 2009, www.bayareacensus.ca.gov
jsabatini@sfexaminer.com
