London Breed Proposes New Housing Legislation

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has introduced legislation in an effort to keep more than 3,400 proposed housing units—of which nearly 500 of them are permanently affordable—from turning into another example of the city’s forgotten development region.

With its demanding population and sparse land availability, it seems as if San Francisco has always had to battle a constant housing crisis. Currently 24 of the proposed developments that represent a significant portion of the 3,400 are looking to avoid the potential of missing an early December deadline for securing building permits. Securing the permits is the last hurdle to be overcome before construction can begin.

According to the sfchronicle, “If they miss the deadline, the developers would be forced to build more affordable units into their projects than the city had required of them. The fear is that the developers may abandon the housing in favor or other uses, such as retail.”

If passed, Breed’s bill would essentially push back the deadline and allow projects to obtain their building permits 30 months after they become entitled if they can’t obtain building permits by the current deadline.

Breed has been an outspoken supporter of building more affordable housing in the city and she hasn’t been shy of letting people know. Since she took office in June of this year, one of her main stances has been to “build more housing and build more housing, faster.”

Given San Francisco’s city council voting record, the bill is expected to pass. The hearing schedule will be determined in the coming weeks.