The Planning Commission will hold an information hearing on progress on the 2009 Housing Element on June 18th, 2009. This hearing will include an introduction to the preliminary draft of PART II of the Housing Element: Objectives, Policies, and Implementation Programs. The complete Commission Packet is available here. PART I Data & Needs Analysis PDF 10 MB   PART II Objectives, Policies, and Implementation Programs PDF 10 MB PART II (available above and in the Related Documents section below) will be the subject of community review and revision over the next six months. PART I of the Housing Element, the draft needs assessment and analysis, was presented to the Planning Commission on April 16th.

Project Summary

The Housing Element is the component of the City’s General Plan that provides a five year vision for housing. San Francisco, along with all municipalities, is required by state law to update the Housing Element of the General Plan every five years. The State requires that a complete and approved draft be submitted by June 26, 2009. Additionally the Planning Department will be completing a full Environmental Impact Report on the 2009 Housing Element update.

The State of California Housing Element law, enacted in 1969, mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems which provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development.

This process will conclude with an effective housing element that provides the necessary conditions for preserving and producing an adequate supply of affordable housing. Among other things, the housing element provides an inventory of land adequately zoned or planned to be zoned for housing, certainty in permit processing procedures, and a commitment to assist in housing development through regulatory concessions and incentives.

In addition, to this fundamental framework, the housing element update process provides a vehicle for establishing and updating housing and land-use strategies reflective of changing needs, resources and conditions. The housing element also provides a powerful tool to address the special housing needs of Californians including the homeless and persons with disabilities. The inclusive planning process ensures that San Francisco promote a variety of housing types including multifamily rental units, transitional and other types of supportive housing. Finally, the housing element update process can also provide a vehicle for San Francisco to adopt housing and land-use strategies to address climate change and the reduction of green house gas emissions, by facilitating housing locations that can significantly contribute to reductions in green house gas emissions.

Project Update
Public Outreach
Calendar of Events Project Timeline Related Documents
General Plan Housing Element

Project Update

The past six months have resulted in a successful series of Community Advisory Body (CAB) meetings and Stakeholder Sessions.  These meetings have helped to set the overarching framework of the 2009 Housing Element.  Participants in the work to date have given feedback on what is currently working (or not) in the City of San Francisco as well as ideas that they have for how housing preservation and development could be better achieved in the future.  From many conversations had over the past six months the following topic areas have emerged as dominate themes for the 2009 Housing Element:

• Adequate sites for housing
• Conserving and improving existing housing stock
• Equal Housing Opportunities
• Facilitating Permanently Affordable Housing
• Removing Constraints to the Construction of Housing
• Maintaining the Character of San Francisco’s Neighborhoods
• Balancing Housing Construction and Infrastructure
• Prioritizing Sustainable Development

The CAB met seven times between September and January to discuss potential objectives and policies that would fall under each of the above themes.  Additionally, 12 stakeholder sessions were held to inform the development of those potential objectives and policies.  Sessions participants included: affordable housing developers, special needs housing providers, homelessness advocates, and neighborhood organizations.  Notes from those meetings can be found in the links below. 

Public Outreach

Update

Throughout March, April and May, the Planning Department, in partnership with community organizations, hosted a series of community workshops throughout the City.  The goal of these workshops was to hear directly from citizens about their housing priorities and needs, and get input on the overarching values and topics, building upon work completed to date by the CAB and Stakeholders including the dominate themes outlined above.   A complete list of all community meetings held can be found on the calendar below.

Summary

The Planning Department is committed to a community based planning effort that meets the State’s deadline, and intends to work closely with community leaders, stakeholders, relevant city agencies, and community members to adequately incorporate their housing policy ideas into the 2009 Housing Element update. The outreach strategy is composed of a three equally critical components:

Community Advisory Body
During the first phase of the project, this Planning Department-appointed Community Advisory Body (CAB) will advise staff on the development and refinement of policies and implementation programs. The body will be tasked with working with staff and stakeholder groups to complete a draft of the 2009 Housing Element Update. CAB members will be expected to participate in six to eight working sessions and participate in ongoing outreach to the larger community for up to one year.

Stakeholder Sessions
Stakeholder sessions will be held midway through the CAB process in order to gain an understanding of the needs and policy interests of groups and organizations related to housing or housing services– for-profit & non-profit developers, housing advocacy groups, and homelessness and social service providers. These sessions, facilitated by City staff and members of the CAB, will directly influence the draft policies written by the CAB.

Citywide Outreach
Broad neighborhood outreach focused on key goals of the draft 2009 update will be a critical aspect of the Housing Element update. Elements of the citywide outreach will be:

• A series of community conversations with neighborhood organizations on housing priorities, to guide the framework of the draft Housing Element
• Utilize Community Advisory Body members as Ambassadors to community during outreach process
• Monthly office hours providing an opportunity for interested citizens to engage with staff about housing issues.
• Public hearings at Planning Commission and Board of Supervisor’s Land Use Committee.

Calendar of Events

Project Timeline

Related Documents