flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development

Multifamily Housing

San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development

Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | June 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development

San Francisco. Photo: Tony Webster/Creative Commons.

San Francisco voters recently approved a ballot measure that will require residential developments of 25 units or more to include 25% affordable units, up from the current requirement of 12%.

Proponents of the new law are hoping it will be a step forward in the effort to provide enough affordable housing in a city with some of the highest home prices and rents in the country. A grandfathering provision allows developers with completed applications to take advantage of a lower requirement depending on the date applications were approved.

Critics charged that the measure will actually reduce affordable housing because the costs of compliance would be too high to make larger projects financially possible, and developers would now focus on projects with less than 25 units. A recent San Francisco Bay Area Council survey determined that more than 33% of the Bay Area's residents are considering leaving the area due to housing costs, lengthy commuting times and the increasing cost of living.

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2021

New report predicts double-digit multifamily delivery rebound in 2021

Yardi Matrix also foresees rent inflation “persisting” in some metros for months ahead.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2021

Call for submissions: ‘Affordable Housing Projects' Cover Story

MULTIFAMILY Design+Construction is looking for the best new "affordable housing" communities for the Fall Issue 2021.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 23, 2021

26-story apartment tower tops out in Silver Spring, Md.

The building will be the tallest in Silver Spring.

Market Data | Jul 20, 2021

Multifamily proposal activity maintains sizzling pace in Q2

Condos hit record high as all multifamily properties benefit from recovery.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 15, 2021

Economic rebound leads to record increase in multifamily asking rents

Across the country, multifamily rents have skyrocketed. Year-over-year rents are up by double digits in nine of the top 30 markets, while national YoY rent growth is up 6.3%. Emerging from the pandemic, a perfect storm of migration, enhanced government stimulus and a hot housing market, among other factors, has enabled this extremely strong growth.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Legislation

Efforts to encourage more housing projects on California coast stall

A movement to encourage more housing projects along the California coast has stalled out in the California legislature. Earlier this year, lawmakers, with the backing of some housing activists, introduced a series of bills aimed at making it easier to build apartments and accessory dwelling units along California’s highly regulated coast. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021