Housing

By Tys Sniffen

We need to find ways to allow middle class people to continue to live in SF

Action Steps:

I support fully streamlining the building and permitting process within the Planning Commission. While it is important to have a transparent public process, we need to create consistency and an understandable timeline for small developers to work on sustainable infill building that matches the character of our neighborhoods. If we want smaller developments that fit the neighborhood, then we need to make it possible for developers to work with the community in order to have a level of stability in their projects.

I fully support Proposition A, the Housing Bond on November's ballot. It will create more affordable housing and support first time home buyers.

I will fight for smart neighborhood planning in the Mission Bay and Bay View. I believe Southeast San Francisco has great potential in building more housing for San Franciscans. I will fight to implement the Better Neighborhoods Planning Process, a community consensus building process focused on meeting the needs of neighborhoods and the community.

I support increasing the numbers of condo conversions/TIC allowed every year. Right now only two hundred apartments can be converted to condos every year. As Supervisor, I believe we should increase that number to meet the growing demands and desires of San Franciscans to become homeowners.

I also support research and work on the viability of the Community Land Trust project This idea of creating a co-op sort of organization including limited-equity owners, community members (i.e. neighbors) and a non-profit to jointly manage and own property could be an answer to San Francisco's home ownership conundrum.

I will fight to provide more housing for lower and middle class San Franciscans by allowing smart and responsible in-fill building in existing neighborhoods. The biggest issue in District 5 and throughout our City is that it is too expensive for lower and middle class people to live and have a home here. I will work hard to create more housing opportunities for San Franciscans. You can count on that.

I support reviewing the current rent control policy for small owner occupied properties. Approximately 9,000 units are held off the market because small property owners don't feel they can afford the trouble of renting in the current climate. If we allow small property owners to have more control over their units, they will feel much more comfortable to their housing units to San Franciscans. This will open the floodgates to renters and provide them more options in the housing market-something every human and San Franciscan needs and deserves.

I will work with organizations such as the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) and the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition to formulate sound housing policy in San Francisco.