Housing

By Lisa Feldstein

The high cost of housing has an overwhelming impact on every resident of District 5

Expand Rent Control Protection

More than 80% of District 5 households are tenant occupied, and San Francisco's Rent Control Ordinance can and must be strengthened, and it be enforced more aggressively to make sure renters aren't hit with enormous, unfair or illegal rent increases.

One way landlords currently get around rent control laws is to demolish existing housing units where renters' rights are protected by rent control laws, and to then build new units that are not subject to rent control. I strongly believe that this loophole must be closed and that these replacement units should also be subject to rent control. However, state law currently prevents the City from imposing rent control protection to these replacement units, so I will work with San Francisco's state delegation to amend the `Costa-Hawkins' law to extend rent control to replacement dwellings under these circumstances. The next, most immediate step: I will drive forward to amend the City's rent ordinance to close the existing loophole that allows landlords to eliminate rent protected units.

Expand Lease Protection for Families

Although it is illegal to discriminate against individuals on the basis of their marital status, too many landlords think they can get around that law by writing tough leases to exclude spouses, domestic partners or extended families. That's why I support the Family Togetherness Act, which would allow tenants to share their homes with their families or partners, regardless of lease restrictions, so long as occupancy standards are not exceeded.

Preserve our Existing Housing Stock

Existing housing will always be more affordable than new housing. Existing housing is currently protected by rent control, and District 5 contains many beautiful homes and housing resources that contribute to the unique architectural character of our neighborhoods. Our existing housing stock should be preserved and improved, and I will make sure the Board looks very carefully at the laws + and the loopholes + that currently allow landlords and owners to tear down good-quality housing.

If we are to protect our existing housing stock then we must encourage and allow landlords to maintain those properties in good shape. If property owners do not maintain their property, our City loses its older, more affordable housing resources to decay and tenants are forced to choose between affordable housing and decent, safe and sanitary housing. I will work with both tenants and landlords to ensure that our rent control protections are strong while allowing owners to maintain and improve the high quality of our housing stock.

Limit Condominium Conversions

When rental housing is converted to condominiums, our rental stock is reduced and tenants may be displaced. Condo conversions do not create new housing, they simply change the ownership structure of our existing housing stock. Over the years, San Francisco has created appropriate limits on condominium conversions to protect renters and to keep housing affordable to those who cannot afford to purchase their homes. I will make sure that these protections are maintained and strengthened.

Implement More Innovative Housing Strategies

San Francisco doesn't take advantage of many cutting edge tools that are available to create affordable housing. As a professional housing advocate, I am committing to using expanded mechanisms for affordable housing creation that do not require reallocating funds from successful housing programs, including the use of community land trusts and limited equity cooperatives.

Expand the Inclusionary Ordinance

San Francisco's ordinance requiring developers of market-rate housing to include affordable units can and must be strengthened. For example, some developers propose only 9 units in their new residential buildings because buildings with ten or more units have to include below-market-rate housing. Closing these loopholes will lead to direct increases in our affordable housing stock.

Acquire New Funding for New Housing

Our ability to create additional affordable housing is directly related to the funds we can leverage for this activity. In the past, the federal government shouldered much of this responsibility, but from 1976 to 2002, federal housing dollars declined by 59% (constant 2002 dollars). Most of the Federal housing funds available today support rent subsidies, not the creation of new housing units. Ensuring that San Francisco receives its fair, necessary share of housing development funds requires creativity and expertise. I will aggressively advocate for new housing revenue sources, including bonds for the acquisition and development of new affordable and supportive housing. I strongly support the Housing Bond on our ballot this November, which will provide $200 million for supportive, rental and home-ownership opportunities for San Franciscans.

Prioritize Housing Resources to Support Rental Housing

Housing production is expensive. The per-unit cost for new affordable housing exceeds $300,000 and resources for this housing are scarce. The 1996 Affordable Housing Bond funds have all been expended and San Francisco voters have not approved new bonding capacity for this purpose. Our financial resources to meet our affordable housing needs are limited to funds from HUD, the State of California, and a few local sources. Because of this, we must make hard decisions about how best to allocate these resources.

I believe we have an obligation to prioritize housing for the most who are in need and for those who need it most. I know from my 15 years of affordable housing experience that the most efficient way to do this is to develop rental housing resources. For this reason, I believe that public, taxpayer financing should emphasize support for rental housing, not the subsidization of new home ownership programs. While homeownership provides opportunities for economic stability and developing wealth, I strongly believe that we must allocate limited housing resources to first ensuring that all are adequately housed before investing in wealth creation for a few.

Density Where It Belongs

The best way to preserve the character of our low-density neighborhoods is to plan for increased density where it is appropriate, especially along major transits corridors. By directing new housing construction in and around BART stations and key Muni stops, the amount of housing in the city will increase while more people will be encouraged to use public transportation. Transit-oriented development also has real environmental benefits both to the district and to the region; infill development decreases pressures on the greenbelt, preserving open space from which we all benefit.

Plan Appropriately for Residential Parking

Parking is expensive in two ways: it costs $30,000 - 50,000 per space, and it uses space to house cars that could be used to house people. For some households a car is a necessity, but 40% of rental households and one-third of all San Francisco households don't even own a car. San Francisco has an opportunity to build less than 1:1 parking in some instances, especially in transit-rich areas. As a Planning Commissioner, I developed and enforced the City's now-standard requirement that parking in multi-unit buildings be sold or rented separately from housing units, so that residents would only have to pay for a parking space if they wanted one. "Unbundling" parking from housing makes housing less expensive for those who don't want or need cars.

Amend the Housing Element of the City's General Plan

San Francisco is required by law to have a Housing Element as a component of the city's General Plan, and current lack of a certified Housing Element is a violation of State law and makes the City ineligible for certain types of State funding.

The Housing Element does not create any zoning designations; rather, it is a policy document that should outline the City's commitment to best planning and smart growth practices. Greater density along major transit corridors, flexibility to reduce parking ratios to less than one space per dwelling unit, and the ability to develop secondary "granny" or "in-law" units without providing parking are examples of sound policies that should be incorporated into our Housing Element. I will strongly advocate for these and other forward-thinking planning principles that will allow us to appropriately increase our housing stock while preserving the character of our neighborhoods.

Continue to Support Our Affordable Housing Development Community

San Francisco boasts one of the most sophisticated, innovative affordable housing development communities in the country. The City works in partnership with these community-based organiza-tions to provide high-quality, safe, affordable housing that compliments our neighborhoods architecturally. Together, community-based and faith-based developers produced 20,000 permanently affordable housing units in San Francisco between 1980-2003, much of it with supportive services. This housing is built utilizing a complex mix of funding sources, leveraged with the help of City government. The City must continue to actively partner with the affordable housing community to create housing for our poorest and most needy residents.

I have worked in housing for fifteen years, and as Supervisor for District 5 I will fight for the implementation of a comprehensive housing program that will preserve and increase our housing stock for all San Franciscans while maintaining the character of our neighborhoods.

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