Program/Policy Name

Program/Policy Description

POLICY 1: Minimize no-fault and at-fault evictions for all tenants, and expand direct rental
assistance as a renter stabilization strategy.

Objective 1.A Ensure housing stability and healthy homes.
Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.
Objective 3.C Eliminate community displacement within areas vulnerable to displacement.

Implementing Program Areas: Antidisplacement and Tenant Supportion; Evict Accessible and Affordable
housing; Homeless Prevention and Elimination

Actions
a. Implement the digital Rental Housing Inventory to collect data that informs the evaluation of antidisplacement programs, including rental rates, rent control status, vacancy, and services provided.
(Rent Board; Short)
b. Fund the Tenant Right-to-Counsel program to match the need for eviction defense. (MOHCD,
Mayor/BOS; Medium)
c. Expand rental assistance programs, including those designed for emergency response, for
population-specific assistance, ongoing tenant-based support, and time-limited assistance (such as
Rapid Rehousing), as also referenced in Policy 9, action (d) as a homelessness prevention tool.
(Mayor/BOS, MOHCD, HSH; Medium)
d. Provide a priority in the allocation of direct rental assistance to vulnerable populations and in areas
vulnerable to displacement. (MOHCD, HSH; Short)
e. Reduce severe cost burdens for extremely low and very low income tenants through rental
assistance, for example by providing sufficient assistance to qualifying SRO tenants to pay no more
than 30% of their household income. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
f. Increase relocation assistance for tenants experiencing either temporary or permanent evictions.
(Mayor/BOS, Rent Board; Short)
g. Increase the time period during which relocation compensation is required when using temporary
evictions from three to six months. (Mayor/BOS, Rent Board; Short)
h. Clarify and limit the definition of nuisance or other just cause evictions as needed to limit abuse.
(Mayor/BOS, Rent Board; Short)
i. Pursue proactive and affirmative enforcement of eviction protections programs, especially for Owner
Move-in and Ellis Act evictions, including annual reporting by owners that is enforced by site
inspections and confirmation of owner occupancy and funded through owner fees. (Rent Board;
Medium)
j. Proactively enforce eviction protection and avoid predatory practices or tenant harassment by
pursuing affirmative litigation models.
31 (MOHCD; Medium)
k. Adopt incentives for property owners to rebuild buildings struck by fire within two years to house prior
tenants by when the transitional housing program timeline expires (HSA, DBI, Planning, Mayor/BOS;
Short)
l. As informed by Policy 21, action (d) and in coordination with community liaisons referenced under
Policy 14, action (b), support and expand community-led navigation services and systems to provide
tenants’ rights education, similar to the existing culturally competent Code Enforcement Outreach
Program that is offered within the Department of Building Inspection; and consider expanding this
culturally competent program to other disadvantaged communities. (MOHCD; Medium)
m. Advocate for State legislation to reform the Ellis Act (Government Code Chapter 12.75) to stabilize
rental housing by, for example, imposing a minimum holding period of five years before the Act can
be used to evict tenants. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
n. Advocate for State legislation to reform the Costa-Hawkins Housing Law to allow cities to better
stabilize tenants by, for example, allowing cities to extend rent control to multifamily housing that is at
least 25 years old. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)

POLICY 2: Preserve affordability of existing subsidized housing, government-owned or cooperativeowned housing, or SRO hotel rooms where the affordability requirements are at risk or soon to
expire.

Objective 1.A Ensure housing stability and healthy homes.
Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.
Objective 3.C Eliminate community displacement within areas vulnerable to displacement.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Antidisplacement and Tenant Support;
Existing Housing Preservation and Affordability

Actions
a. Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of existing housing cooperatives to identify
impediments to success and need for support (MOHCD; Short).
b. Expand resources for preservation, rehabilitation, or rebuilding of cooperative buildings, and adopt
requirements such as one-to-one replacement of affordability rates, right-to-return, and relocation
plans as informed by the needs assessment referenced under Policy 2, action (a). (MOHCD;
Medium)
c. Expand technical assistance and support to limited equity cooperatives regarding governance,
finance, management, and marketing. (MOHCD; Short)
d. Expand resources to continue to negotiate preservation agreements for properties with expiring
affordability restrictions to ensure permanent affordability and housing stability for tenants to the
greatest extent possible. (MOHCD; Medium)
e. Identify units in permanently affordable projects that can be used as temporary housing for those
temporarily displaced by affordable housing rehabilitation or redevelopment. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS;
Medium)
f. Identify SRO residential hotels in advanced states of disrepair where demolition and construction of
new Permanent Supportive Housing may be more cost-effective than rehabilitation and requiring
tenant relocation plans during construction and a right to return for tenants. (DBI, HSH, Planning;
Medium)
g. Increase fines for illegally converting SROs to new uses or illegally preventing residents from
establishing tenancy by forcing short-term stays. (DBI; Short)
h. Utilize zoning solutions to allow large affordable housing sites to leverage additional density and
development to fund rehabilitation and preservation of existing affordable units for current residents
while creating more affordable units. (Planning, MOHCD; Short)

POLICY 3: Acquire and rehabilitate privately-owned housing as permanently affordable to better
serve residents and areas vulnerable to displacement with unmet affordable housing needs.

Objective 1.A Ensure housing stability and healthy homes.
Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.
Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Existing Housing Preservation and Affordability

Actions
a. Prioritize building purchases for the acquisition and rehabilitation program that serve extremely- and
very-lowincome and unhoused populations including purchase of SRO residential hotels. (MOHCD,
DBI; Medium)
b. Implement the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) to increase non-profit capacitybuilding investments to purchase and operate existing tenant-occupied buildings as permanent
affordable housing in western neighborhoods, particularly for populations and areas vulnerable to
displacement. (MOHCD; Medium)
c. Evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the Small Sites program to increase shared equity or cooperative
ownership opportunities for tenants. This study would also inform expansion of shared equity
homeownership models cited in Policy 11, action (f) and Policy 23, action (a). (MOHCD, Planning;
Short)
d. Incentivize private owners to sell residential buildings to non-profit affordable housing developers via
transfer tax exemptions or other financial measure. (Planning, MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Medium)

POLICY 4: Facilitate the legalization of unauthorized dwelling units while improving their safety
and habitability.

Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing
middle-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Existing Housing Preservation and Affordability

Actions
a. Facilitate and encourage more legalizations through financial support such as low-interest or
forgivable loans for property owners. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS, DBI; Medium)
b. Update the Conditional Use findings requirements for removal of unauthorized dwelling units to
account for tenancy and to identify alternative findings to financial hardship findings that account for
the cost and construction burdens of legalization. (Planning, DBI, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Reduce cost of legalization by removing Planning and Building Code requirements that are not critical
for health or safety. (Planning, DBI, Mayor/BOS; Medium)

POLICY 5: Improve access to the available Affordable Rental and Homeownership units especially
for disproportionately underserved racial and social groups.

Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.
Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Accessible and Affordable Housing; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Identify racial, ethnic, and social groups who have been disproportionately underserved by
MOHCD’s available Affordable Rental and Homeownership units and the underlying reasons why
those groups are underrepresented in obtaining such housing. These groups include but are not
limited to previously identified groups such as American Indian, Black, Latinos, and other people of
color, transgender and LGBTQ+ people, transitional aged youth, people with disabilities, and senior
households. This study can inform the housing portal cited in Policy 14 (e). (MOHCD, Planning;
Short)
b. Through the Inclusionary Technical Analysis Committee, assess by 2024 whether affordability levels
of rental and ownership units created through the Affordable Inclusionary Housing Program are
accessible to groups underserved as studied in Policy 5, action (a), update those requirements in
balance with ensuring financial feasibility as referenced in Policy 24 (a). (Planning, MOHCD;
Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Evaluate and update existing policies and programs to increase the percentage of Affordable Rental
and Homeownership units awarded to underserved groups identified through the studies referenced
in Policy 5, action (a) and (f), including but not limited to preferences, strengthening targeted
outreach, education, housing readiness counseling, and other services specific to the needs of each
group, ensuring accessible accommodations in these services, as well as increasing production of
units affordable to extremely low, very low, and moderate income households as referenced under
Policy 15, action (a), Policy 19, action (b), and Policy 23, action (b). (MOHCD; Short)
d. Evaluate area median incomes and unit types and identify strategies to secure housing for applicants
to the Affordable Rental and Homeownership unit lottery program who have not won the lottery after
more than five years of submitting applications. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Short)
e. Expand the Certificates of Preference program as allowed per recent State Law in Assembly Bill 1584
1584 (Health and Safety Code, SEC 13 – 16), to qualify low or moderate income descendants of
those displaced by redevelopment projects for priority in renting or buying affordable housing.
Conduct comprehensive outreach and engagement to identify the descendants of households who
have been displaced. Expanding this program should rely on strategies that ensure such units meet
the preferences and needs of eligible households as informed by Policy 5, action (f). (OCII, MOHCD;
Short)
f. Conduct a study to engage with Certificates of Preference holders and their descendants to identify
their housing needs, preferences, and income levels and create a tracking system to better monitor who has obtained or declined affordable rental and homeownership opportunities and why. (OCII,
MOHCD; Short)
g. Identify and adopt local strategies and advocate for State legislation to remove barriers to access
permanently affordable housing for immigrants or people who lack standard financial documentation
such as credit histories, bank accounts, or current leases; and for transgender people whose
documentation may need corrections not possible due to immigration status, and/or non-California
state laws. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Short)
h. Expand the Senior Operating Subsidy (SOS) program to allow extremely and very low-income
seniors to be eligible for the senior Below Market Rate rental units. (MOHCD; Short)
i. Expand existing culturally responsive housing counseling to applicants to MOHCD Affordable Rental
and Homeownership Opportunities through a network of community-based housing counseling
agencies, in consultation with Cultural Districts, and as informed by the needs identified under Policy
5, actions (a), (c), and (f). These programs include financial counseling, market-rate and below
market rate rental readiness counseling, and other services that lead to finding and keeping safe and
stable housing; expansion of such services should in coordination with Policy 21, action (d), and
informed by community priorities working with liaisons referenced under Policy 14, action (b).
(MOHCD; Short)
j. Strengthen monitoring and enforcement of Below Market Rate units to avoid fraud and abuse of units
and to unlock more units for those eligible and in need, through active enforcement of existing
obligations, expedited leasing of new and turnover units, and completing the DAHLIA partners
database. (MOHCD; Medium)
k. Develop a housing portal for the DAHLIA database to provide a hub for applicants to access all
housing programs and services including as rental assistance, affordable housing lotteries,
vouchers, and public housing. (MOHCD; Medium)
l. Amend the Inclusionary Housing Program regulations to allow existing homeowners of Below Market
Rate units to purchase another Below Market Rate unit and sell their current unit in cases where
household size changes or another reasonable accommodation is required, in order to respond to
changing household needs. (MOHCD, Planning; Short)

POLICY 6: Advance equal housing access by eliminating discrimination based on race, ethnicity,
immigration status, HIV+ status, gender identity, sexual orientation, disabilities, age, prior
incarceration, or mental health and improving housing programs for underserved groups.

Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Homeless Prevention and Elimination; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Identify and implement strategies to increase placement in Permanent Supportive Housing through
the Coordinated Entry assessment for racial and social groups who are overrepresented in the
unhoused population, such as extremely and very-low income American Indian, Black, and
Latino(a/e) people, transgender people, or people with prior involvement in the criminal justice
system. (HSH, MOHCD; Short)
b. Evaluate and identify common cases of discrimination and violation of fair housing law and groups
who continuously face such discrimination, including transgender and LGBTQ+, or people with
disabilities, and implement solutions to strengthen enforcement of fair housing law in those cases.
(HRC; Medium)
c. Amend the City’s Fair Chance Ordinance to incorporate best practices to expand housing access for
people with criminal records to privately-owned units, Housing Choice Voucher units, and other
federally funded units.32 (HRC, MOHCD, APD; Short)
d. Study and remove barriers to entry for temporary shelters, transitional and Permanent Supportive
Housing for unhoused individuals and families, particularly for individuals with mental health or
substance abuse issues, and prior involvement with the criminal justice system. (HSH, DPH, APD;
Medium)
e. Conduct a Housing Needs Assessment33 for seniors and people with disability every three years to
inform strategies that meet their housing needs, as referenced in Policy 32. (HSA, Planning;
ongoing)
f. Identify new strategies to address the unique housing and service needs of specific vulnerable
populations toimprove housing access and security for each group, using the findings from the City’s
housing Consolidated Plans and through direct engagement of these populations. Studies should
address the needs of veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, youth, transgender and LGBTQ+
populations. (MOHCD, HSH, Planning; Medium)

POLICY 7: Pursue permanently affordable housing investments that are specific to the geographic,
cultural, and support needs of recently arrived or newly independent residents or residents from
marginalized groups, including transgender and LGBTQ+ people.

Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.
Objective 4.C Diversify housing types for all cultures, family structures, and abilities.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Homeless Prevention and Elimination;
Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Study and identify programs that respond to the needs of transgender and LGBTQ+ groups,
particularly those who are refugees, lack family connections, or previously incarcerated, to
incorporate into permanently affordable housing investments that are concentrated in the
neighborhoods where they have historically found community, such as the Castro for LGBTQ+
communities or the Tenderloin for transgender people of color, building upon research spearheaded
by the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District. (MOHCD, Planning; Short)
b. Support implementing San Francisco’s “Ending Trans Homelessness Plan” as referenced under
Policy 8, action (n), as well as the ongoing housing placement for the transgender community. (HSH,
OTI, MOHCD; Medium)
c. Continue to provide housing affordable to HIV positive applicants on the Plus Housing List. (MOHCD;
ongoing)
d. Expand housing for transitional aged-youth in permanently affordable housing including supportive
programs that address their unique needs such as a past criminal record, substance abuse, sexual
orientation, gender identity, or other specific needs, as informed by the strategies referenced in Policy
7, action (d). (MOHCD, HSH; Medium)
e. Study and identify programs, geographies, and building types that respond to the needs of recently
arrived immigrants to inform permanently affordable housing investments in the neighborhoods in
which they initially settle, such as Chinatown, the Tenderloin, the Mission, and other gateway
neighborhoods. (MOHCD, Planning; Short)

POLICY 8: Expand permanently supportive housing and services for individuals and families
experiencing homelessness as a primary part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate
homelessness.

Objective 1.C Eliminate homelessness.
Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Homeless Prevention and Elimination; Reduction of
Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Identify a numerical target for building Permanently Supportive Housing based on Point-in-Time
Counts in 2022, to house approximately a third of the total unhoused population in Permanent
Supportive Housing and services, and update this target based on the 2022 Strategy completed by
the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. (HSH; Short)
b. Using the annual budget for capital, operating and services costs, increase funding needed to meet
the targets set in Policy 8, action (a), in balance with funding needed for the actions in this policy
including short and long-term rental subsidies. (Mayor/BOS, HSH, MOHCD; Medium)
c. Prioritize people who are unhoused for direct rental assistance paired with social services. (SFHA,
HSH; Short)
d. Increase operating subsidy funding for services and rent in City-funded permanently affordable
housing projects so that the share of housing units can increase to 30% or greater of all project units.
(MOHCD; Medium)
e. Expand and improve on-site supportive services within Permanent Supportive Housing projects
including sustained care for mental health or substance abuse issues, case management, and
childcare. (HSH, HSA, DPH; Medium)
f. Utilize the state-wide streamlining opportunities to expedite and increase the production of
Permanent Supportive Housing. (MOHCD, Planning; Short)
g. Evaluate the current prioritization system of the Coordinated Entry System for housing placement and
services for unhoused residents that currently focuses only on chronic homelessness; and adopt
additional levels of priorities for other vulnerable applicants to avoid worsening their situation while
waiting for housing and services, and to substantially reduce the vacancy rates of housing available.
(HSH; Short)
h. Expand the capacity of low barrier access, high service temporary shelter models, such as noncongregate shelter options and Navigation Center beds. Aim to increase temporary shelter investments in proportion34 to Permanent Supportive Housing and homelessness prevention
investments to improve the rate of successful exits to stable housing. (HSH; Medium)
i. Evaluate the needs for and create more types of shelters in the system with amenities and services
tailored to their residents, examples could include wellness hubs, ‘clean and sober’ shelters, safe
consumption shelters for legal and illegal substances, non-congregate shelters, transgender
shelters, and off-street safe parking sites for those vehicle dwellers seeking conventional housing.
(HSH; Medium)
j. Secure and advocate for additional funding for building and operation of Permanent Supportive
Housing from State and federal sources. (HSH; Medium)
k. Provide housing navigation services and stability case management to people experiencing
homelessness using rental assistance programs (e.g., Housing Choice Vouchers) during the housing
search stage and ongoing to ensure tenant retention. (MOHCD, HSH; Short)
l. Create and expand incentives for private landlords to use rental assistance programs (e.g., Housing
Choice Vouchers) to rent their units to extremely and very low-income households. Incentives could
include covering lease up fees, rent payment during the inspection period, providing tenant support
for housing retention, and covering unit damage upon separation, as well as establishing a fund to
support these incentives. (SFHA, MOHCD, HSH; Short)
m. Strengthen the Housing Ladder35 strategy to support residents of Permanent Supportive Housing to
move to less-supportive settings, freeing up supportive housing units for unhoused people. Actions
include revising San Francisco Housing Authority preference system to grant higher preference to
these households in using direct rental assistance or other available subsidies or creating a new Citysupported shallow subsidy for these households. (SFHA,HSH, MOHCD; Medium)
n. Support and fund the San Francisco Ending Trans Homelessness Plan to end homelessness for
transgender people in recognition of the severe disparities in housing access and safety experienced
by this group. (HSH, OTI, MOHCD; Short)

POLICY 9: Prevent homelessness and eviction through comprehensive evidence-based systems,
including housing and other services targeted to serve those at risk of becoming unhoused36.

Objective 1.A Ensure housing stability and healthy homes.
Objective 1.B Advance equitable housing access.
Objective 1.C Eliminate homelessness.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Antidisplacement and Tenant Support;
Empowerment of Equity Priority Communities; Homeless Prevention and Elimination; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Prioritize those at risk of becoming unhoused for homeless prevention investments, such as flexible
financial assistance or Step Up to Freedom37 program and other programs that offer a continuum of
care and wrap around services in addition to housing. (HSH, MOHCD, APD; Short)
b. Increase the timeframe during which time-limited rental assistance is offered, through programs such
as Rapid Rehousing,38 to enable households to secure stable employment. (HSH, MOHCD; Short)
c. Provide adequate legal services to support eviction prevention including support for rent increase
hearings, habitability issues, or tenancy hearings with the Housing Authority. (MOHCD; Short)
d. Expand tenant and project-based rental assistance programs, including federal, state and local
operating subsidy programs, to meet the needs of extremely and very low-income households and
households with fixed incomes, such as seniors and people with disabilities, as also referenced in
Policy 1, actions (c), (d), and (e). (HSH, SFHA, MOHCD; Short)
e. Expand the timeline during which transitional housing programs39 are offered for people coming out
of jails, prisons, immigration detention centers, and substance use treatment. (APD, HSH, DPH,
MOHCD; Short)
f. Expand and improve services for mental health and substance use care, social work, and other
supportive services for residents of Permanent Supportive Housing, and those at risk of becoming
unhoused.
40 (HSH, DPH; Medium)
Expand on-site case management services that focus on removing barriers to housing stability to
support non-profit housing providers in preventing evictions of their tenants. (HSH, MOHCD, APD;
Medium)
h. Expand housing retention requirements to prevent evictions and support tenants of non-profit
housing. (MOHCD, HSH; Short)
i. Continue to provide mobile services for residents in scattered-site supportive housing, for example
the new Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool program. (HSH, DPH; ongoing)
j. Adopt Trauma-Informed Systems41 with robust training resources and increase cultural competency
training specific to transgender and LGBTQ+ populations for all service providers and property
managers in the City’s affordable housing projects and Homeless Response System. (DPH, HSH,
MOHCD, APD; Medium)
k. Improve programs intended to transfer people experiencing violent crime and domestic violence to
safe housing. (HSH, MOHCD, DSW, SFHA; Short)
l. Strengthen the housing navigation services by assigning a support counselor, with similar lived
experience, to an individual regardless of where that person lives instead of being tied to a particular
location, so that consistent support continues through residential transitions. (HSH, APD; Short)
m. As a prevention partner to the regional All Home Plan42, help create a regional homeless response
system to share data across systems, and administer the increased funds from local, State, and
federal agencies. (HSH, MOHCD; Short)
n. Expand short term medical recovery housing programs for unhoused transgender people, such as is
offered by Maitri, so that transgender people can access medical care by meeting the public health
system requirement for stable housing prior to undergoing gender-affirming surgeries. (HSH; Short)
o. Allocate resources to population-specific programs outside of the Homelessness Response System
in acknowledgement that transgender and LGBTQ+ communities do not currently access the system
because of safety and discrimination concerns. (HSH; Short)

POLICY 10: Acknowledge the truth about discriminatory practices and government actions43 as told
by American Indian, Black, and other communities of color to understand the root causes of the
housing disparities in these communities and to inform how to redress the harms.

Objective 2.A Make amends through truth-telling of the historic harms.

Implementing Program Areas: Redressing Harm

Actions
a. Commission an American Indian community-led study to document the discriminatory practices and
government actions against American Indian communities including the Indian Relocation Act of
1956 and the cumulative impacts of genocide, exploitation, and dispossession of resources in terms
of wealth loss, disparate housing and health outcomes, and scale of displacement. (Planning, HRC;
Short)
b. Commission a community-led study by affected communities, including American Indian, Black, and
other communities of color, to document the history of redlining, racial covenants, and exclusionary
zoning practices in San Francisco and their cumulative impacts, particularly on Black households, in
terms wealth-loss, disparate housing and health outcomes, and scale of displacement. (Planning,
HRC; Short)
c. Commission a community-led study by affected communities, including American Indian, Black, and
other communities of color, to document the history of urban renewal in San Francisco and its
cumulative impacts, particularly on Black households, in terms wealth loss, disparate housing and
health outcomes, and scale of displacement. (Planning, HRC;Short)
d. Commission a community-led study by affected communities to document the history of public
housing replacement in San Francisco and its impacts, particularly on Black households, in terms of
wealth loss, disparate housing and health outcomes, and scale of displacement. (Planning,
HRC;Short)
e. Commission a community-led study by affected communities to document the history of predatory
lending practices in San Francisco and its impacts in terms of wealth loss, disparate housing and
health outcomes, and scale of displacement. (Planning, HRC; Short)
f. Report on the cumulative impacts to American Indian, Black, and other communities of color
resulting from discriminatory practices and government actions as understood from the studies
called for in Policy 10, actions (a) through (e) to present a holistic view of the harms incurred and
redress the harms comprehensively. (Planning, HRC; Long)
Incorporate findings from the studies called for in Policy 10, actions (a) through (e), including the
resulting disparities and inequities, when applying the Planning Department’s racial and social equity
assessment tool44 to applicable projects. (Planning; Short).
h. Incorporate relevant findings of the studies called for in Policy 10, actions (a) through (e) in city decision
documents for actions intended to repair past racial and social harm. (Planning; Short).

POLICY 11: Establish and sustain homeownership programs and expand affordable housing access
for American Indian, Black, Japanese, Filipino, and other communities to redress harm directly
caused by past discriminatory government actions including redlining, urban renewal, the Indian
Relocation Act, or WWII Japanese incarceration.

Objective 2.B Offer reparations for communities directly harmed by past discriminatory government action
and bring back their displaced people.
Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 3.C Eliminate community displacement within areas vulnerable to displacement.

Implementing Program Areas: Redressing Harm

Actions
i. Prioritize American Indian residents for housing opportunities to redress the historic dispossession of
resources affecting these communities, such as by the Indian Relocation Act, and other government
actions that broke the cohesion of this community. (Mayor/BOS; Short)
a. Establish pilot and permanent programs that offer homeownership opportunities targeted to Black
communities harmed through redlining or urban renewal, including Black individuals and their
descendants who hold Certificates of Preference from the urban renewal period, as referenced in
Policy 5, actions (e) and (f). Building on the Dream Keeper initiative, such programs should include
silent second loans or grants for down payment assistance, as well as other financial assistance to
reduce income eligibility as a barrier to access homeownership opportunities. (MOHCD; Medium)
b. Upon completion of the pilot programs for Black communities cited in Policy 11, action (b), evaluate
and extend the programs to other communities directly harmed by discriminatory government
actions.
45 (MOHCD; Short)
c. Target increased investment in the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program to American Indian,
Black, Japanese, Filipino, and other communities directly harmed by redlining or urban renewal or by
other discriminatory government actions. (MOHCD; Short)
d. Implement the right to return legislation for residents of public housing including opportunities to
those previously displaced. (MOHCD; Medium)
e. Pursue expanding and modifying the shared equity homeownership and land trust models, to
address their effectiveness and scalability, for communities harmed by past discrimination. Use the
findings of the study referenced in Policy 3, action (c) to inform expansion of these models. (MOHCD,
Planning; Medium)
f. Create and pilot programs to increase access to Affordable Rental and Homeownership units as
redress for American Indian, Black, Japanese, Filipino, and other communities directly harmed by
past discriminatory government actions including redlining, urban renewal, the Indian Relocation Act,
or WWII Japanese incarceration. (MOHCD, Planning, HRC; Short)
g. Expand and fund community capacity to implement housing programs and investments for American
Indian residents as one strategy to redress the historic dispossession of resources affecting these
communities, such as the Indian Relocation Act, and other government actions that broke the cohesion
of this community. (Planning, MOHCD; Short)

POLICY 12: Invest in and expand access to cultural anchors, land, and spaces that are significant to
American Indian, Black, Japanese, Filipino, and other communities directly harmed by past
discriminatory government actions including redlining, urban renewal, the Indian Relocation Act
or WWII Japanese incarceration to redress histories of dispossession, social disruption, and
physical displacement.

Objective 2.B Offer reparations for communities directly harmed by past discriminatory government action
and bring back their displaced people.
Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 5.C Elevate expression of cultural identities through the design of active and engaging
neighborhood buildings and spaces.

Implementing Program Areas: Cultural Stability, Redressing Harm

Actions
a. In recognition of the removal of American Indians from their ancestral lands, identify opportunities to
restore access to land for traditional cultural and ceremonial uses and to invest in spaces for the
American Indian community to participate in traditional cultural practices and convene community
gatherings. (MOHCD, Mayor/Board, RED; Short)
b. In recognition of the disproportionate loss of Black residents from San Francisco in recent decades
resulting in part from a culmination of discriminatory government actions, identify opportunities to
donate or dedicate land for use by Black-led, community-serving organizations. (MOHCD,
Mayor/Board, RED; Short)
c. Strengthen interagency coordination to ensure that Cultural District strategies related to the creation
or improvement of cultural anchors and spaces are integrated into planning, funding, and
construction and/or rehabilitation of public projects (e.g., parks and open spaces, street
improvements, libraries, and transit facilities). (Planning, MOHCD, OEWD; Short)
d. Fund the development and implementation of community-led strategies in Cultural Districts to retain
and grow culturally associated businesses and services that attract residents back to the area.
(MOHCD, OEWD, OSB, Planning; Short)
e. Recognize spaces of cultural importance identified by American Indian, Black, Japanese, Filipino,
and other communities directly harmed by discriminatory government actions in community planning
and regulatory review for development projects, consult them in decisions affecting those spaces,
and direct resources towards their preservation and management. (Planning, OEWD, OSB; Short)
f. Fund the development of cultural spaces that serve communities harmed as described under this
policy, using potential new funding sources such as the mitigation fund referenced under Policy 42,
action (c) or community facilities fees. (MOHCD, Planning, OEWD; Medium)
g. Explore utilizing the Legacy Business Registry program to direct resources to businesses and not-forprofit organizations associated with American Indian, Black, Japanese, Filipino, and other communities
directly harmed by discriminatory government actions. (OSB, OEWD; Short)

POLICY 13: Amplify and prioritize voices of American Indian, Black, and other people of color, and
other disadvantaged communities, and embrace the guidance of their leaders throughout the
engagement and planning processes for housing policy, planning, programs, and developments.

Objective 2.C Increase accountability to American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.

Implementing Program Areas: Cultural Stability; Empowerment of Equity Priority Communities; Redressing Harm

Actions
a. Develop and implement community engagement strategies that center racial and social equity and
cultural competency to be used by Planning Department staff as well as developers or community
groups. (Planning; Short)
b. Update the Planning Code and Planning Department protocols where necessary to reflect strategies
developed in Policy 13, action (a), this includes updating Planning Department requirements for
project sponsors to engage with interested Cultural Districts to allow these communities to provide
input upon initiation of a project application and to allow the project sponsor adequate time to
address the input through dialogue or project revisions. (Planning; Short)
c. Increase resources and funding to partner with community-based organizations primarily serving and
representing American Indian, Black, and other people of color, and other disadvantaged
communities for inclusive outreach and engagement and meaningful participation in planning
processes related to housing through focus groups, surveys, and other outreach events (Planning,
Mayor/BOS; Medium)
d. Develop and implement guidelines, and update the municipal codes where needed, to ensure
elevated representation of American Indian, Black, and other people of color, and other
disadvantaged communities in decision-making or advisory bodies such as Community Advisory
Councils (CACs). (Planning; Medium)
e. Improve consultation with local Native Ohlone representatives, including the Association of
Ramaytush Ohlone representatives, and American Indian residents in policy development and
project review regarding tribal and cultural resource identification, treatment, and management while
compensating them for their knowledge and efforts. Improvements should include commissioning
the development of community-led, culturally relevant guidelines for identifying and protecting tribal
and cultural resources and identifying funding sources for cultural resource identification, treatment
and management. (Planning; Short)
f. Identify and implement housing strategies recommended by advisory bodies primarily serving and
representing American Indian, Black, and other people of color, and other disadvantaged communities
such as the African American Reparations Advisory Committee and the Transgender Advisory
Committee. (Planning, MOHCD; Medium)

POLICY 14: Establish accountability tools to advance racial and social equity in housing access with
measurable progress.

Objective 2.C Increase accountability to American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Empowerment of Equity Priority Communities

Actions
a. Develop and align citywide metrics that measure progress towards beneficial outcomes for American
Indian, Black, and other people of color, and other disadvantaged communities resulting from
housing policies using methods consistent with the San Francisco Equity Index prepared by the
Office of Racial Equity. (Planning, ORE; Medium)
b. Identify and fund liaisons within key City agencies such as MOHCD and Planning to support the
housing needs and priorities of American Indian, Black, and other people of color, and other
disadvantaged communities; such liaisons should provide regular check-ins with the community at
centralized community spaces and reporting on Housing Element Implementation Program
progress. (Planning, MOHCD; Short)
c. Identify priority actions in the Housing Element Implementation Program that respond to the needs of
American Indian, Black, and other people of color, and other disadvantaged communities, through
collaboration with Cultural Districts or other racial and social equity-focused community bodies such
as the Community Equity Advisory Council or the African American Reparations Committee. Report
back to communities on the progress of those priority actions and update prioritization every two
years. (Planning, MOHCD; Medium)
d. Establish an inter-agency Housing Element implementation committee, who convenes meetings with
community advisor members representing racial and social equity-focused bodies as cited in Policy
14, action (c), to inform the City’s budget and work program on housing equity. The committee would
be responsible for reporting progress measured in actions (a) and (c) to the Planning Commission
and Mayor’s Office and for identifying financial or legal challenges to progress. (Planning, MOHCD,
HRC; Short)
e. Monitor and shape housing investments, including permanently affordable housing production,
preservation, and housing services, through the Capital Planning process cited in Policy 22, action
(d) so that resource allocation is accountable to the community priority actions identified in Policy 14,
action (c).(Planning, MOHCD; Short)
f. Expand DAHLIA to improve data collection on communities being served by various housing services,
including rental assistance, affordable housing lotteries, vouchers, and public housing. (MOHCD,
Digital Services, SFHA, HSH; Short)

POLICY 15: Expand permanently affordable housing investments in Priority Equity Geographies to
better serve American Indian, Black, and other People of color within income ranges underserved,
including extremely-, very low-, and moderate-income households.

Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Accessible and Affordable Housing; Empowerment of Equity
Priority Communities

Actions
a. Increase production of housing affordable to extremely and very low-income households including
identifying and deploying subsidy resources necessary to serve these income groups. (MOHCD,
HSH; Medium)
b. Maximize the use of ongoing tenant-based rental assistance to expand eligibility for extremely and
very low-income households who otherwise do not qualify for Below Market Rate units. (MOHCD;
Short)
c. Evaluate increasing neighborhood preference allocation for Below Market Rate units in Priority Equity
Geographies to better serve American Indian, Black, and other communities of color, if possible, per
the Federal Fair Housing regulations, as informed by Policy 5 and underlying actions. (MOHCD;
Short)
d. Support the development and implementation of community-led plans in the Tenderloin, the Fillmore,
and Japantown. (Planning, MOHCD; Short)
e. Support implementation of Mission Action Plan 2020 (MAP2020) and Sustainable Chinatown and as
updated from time to time in order to meet its affordable housing production and preservation
targets. (MOHCD, Planning; Short)
f. Support and expedite delivery of the permanently affordable housing projects in Redevelopment
Areas led by the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII). (Planning; ongoing)
g. Continue to rebuild and replace public housing units at HOPE SF sites without displacement of the
current residents. (MOHCD; Medium)

POLICY 16: Improve access to well-paid jobs and business ownership for American Indian, Black
and other communities of color, particularly those who live in Priority Equity Geographies, to build
the wealth needed to afford and meet their housing needs.

Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Cultural Stability; Thriving Actions

Actions
a. Expand and target job training, financial readiness education programs to residents of Priority Equity
Geographies including youth from American Indian, Black and other communities of color. (OEWD,
MOHCD, ORE; Medium)
b. Support developers of new permanently affordable housing developments in Priority Equity
Geographies to include affordable community serving uses such as grocery stores, healthcare
clinics, or institutional community uses such as child-care facilities, community facilities, job training
centers, social services as part of their ground floor use programming. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS;
Medium)
c. Adopt commercial space guidelines to encourage the development of businesses owned by
American Indian, Black and other people of color in permanently affordable housing buildings.
(MOHCD, OEWD, ORE; Short)
d. Provide resources for tenant improvements for businesses owned by American Indian, Black, and
other people of color in permanently affordable housing buildings. (OEWD, MOHCD, ORE; Medium)
e. Expand capacity-building, job training, start-up, and business development resources for Black
business owners in development and contracting construction trades in support of building housing.
(OEWD, MOHCD, ORE; Medium)
f. Grow a range of business and career-building opportunities in Priority Equity Geographies through
resources to support affordable Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) space, protections and
incentives for PDR in the Planning Code, enforcement of PDR zoning, and industrial (or commercial)
design guidelines. (OEWD; Planning; Medium)

POLICY 17: Expand investments in Priority Equity Geographies to advance equitable access to
resources while ensuring community stability.

Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 5.A Connect people to jobs and their neighborhood with numerous, equitable, and healthy
transportation and mobility options.
Implementing Program Areas: Antidisplacement and Tenant Support; Infrastructure and Community Services;
Thriving Communities

Actions
a. Apply equity metrics identified under Policy 14 (a) in identifying necessary infrastructure
improvements for Priority Equity Geographies and to guide all City investment decisions, including
but not limited to: Capital Planning, General Plan Elements, Interagency Plan Implementation
Committee or Citizen Advisory Council review, in coordination with Policy 38 actions (a) through (c).
(Planning, SFMTA, RPD, DPW; Short)
b. Target Priority Equity Geographies for in investments to improve transit service, as well as other
community improvements to parks, streetscape, and neighborhood amenities, in coordination with
the investments referenced under Policy 38, action (c). (Planning, SFMTA, RPD, DPW; Medium)
c. Invest in and implement anti-displacement measures in parallel with major infrastructure improvements
in areas undergoing displacement, as informed by Policy 21, actions (a) and (b). (Planning, SFMTA,
RPD, DPW; Medium)

POLICY 18: Tailor zoning changes within Priority Equity Geographies and intersecting Cultural
Districts to serve the specific needs of American Indian, Black, and other communities of color
while implementing programs to stabilize communities and meet community needs.

Objective 2.C Increase accountability to American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 3.A Build intergenerational wealth for American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 3.C Eliminate community displacement within areas vulnerable to displacement.
Implementing Program Areas: Antidisplacement and Tenant Support; Empowerment of Equity Priority
Communities

Actions
a. Identify and adopt zoning changes that implement priorities of American Indian, Black, and other
communities of color identified in Cultural District or other community-led processes within Priority
Equity Geographies. (Planning; Medium)
b. Consult with related Cultural Districts or other racial equity-focused community bodies such as the
Community Equity Advisory Council to evaluate the racial and social equity impacts of proposed
zoning changes within Priority Equity Geographies, using the framework identified under Policy 21,
actions (a) and (b). (Planning; Medium)
c. Allocate resources and create an implementation plan for any applicable anti-displacement measures
parallel with the adoption of zoning changes within Priority Equity Geographies. (Planning; Medium)

POLICY 19: Enable low and moderate-income households, particularly American Indian, Black, and
other people of color, to live and prosper in Well-resourced Neighborhoods by increasing the
number of permanently affordable housing units in those neighborhoods.

Objective 3.B Create a sense of belonging for all communities of color within Well-resourced neighborhoods
through expanded housing choice.
Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.
Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Accessible and Affordable Housing

Actions
a. Build between 25% and 50% of the City’s new permanently affordable housing within Well-resourced
Neighborhoods within the next two RHNA cycles, implementing the zoning strategies of Policy 20.
(MOHCD, Planning; Medium)
b. Increase housing that is affordable to extremely low and very low-income households in Wellresourced Neighborhoods through City funded permanently affordable housing projects. (MOHCD;
Long)
c. Create a funded land banking program to purchase either individual lots or lots for consolidation that
could accommodate at least 50 units on sites in Well-resourced Neighborhoods, such as sites
owned by religious institutions, parking on public land, or underutilized sites. (Planning, MOHCD,
Mayor/BOS; Medium)
d. Pursue partnerships with religious institutions, or other philanthropic or private property owners, and
non-profit developers in Well-resourced Neighborhoods to identify and support development of sites
that could accommodate new permanently affordable housing, shared equity or cooperative models
as referenced under Policy 23, action (a). (Planning, MOHCD, OEWD; Medium)
e. Create programs that provide case management, financial literacy education, and housing readiness
to low-income American Indian, Black and other people of color households who seek housing choices
in Well-resourced Neighborhoods, and provide incentives and counseling to landlords in Wellresourced Neighborhoods to offer units to low-income households. Consider similar incentives
referenced in Policy 8, action (m). (MOHCD; Medium)

POLICY 20: Increase mid-rise and small multi-family housing types by adopting zoning changes or
density bonus programs in Well-resourced Neighborhoods and adjacent lower-density areas near
transit, including along SFMTA Rapid Network47 and other transit.

Objective 3.B Create a sense of belonging for all communities of color within Well-resourced neighborhoods
through expanded housing choice.
Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing
middle-income households.
Objective 5.A Connect people to jobs and their neighborhood with numerous, equitable, and healthy
transportation and mobility options.
Implementing Program Areas: Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types; Reduction of Constraints for Housing
Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Increase the opportunity for mid-rise multi-family buildings in Well-resourced Neighborhoods through
changes to height limits, removal of density controls, and other zoning changes along SFMTA’s Muni
Forward Rapid Network48 and other transit lines such as California Street, Union Street, Lombard
Street, Geary Blvd, Judah Street, Noriega Street, Ocean Ave, Taraval Street, Sloat Blvd, 19th Ave,
Park Presidio Blvd, West Portal Ave, Junipero Serra Blvd, Church Street, Divisadero Street, 17th and
Market/Castro, and Van Ness Ave. In areas that overlap with Priority Equity Geographies, such as the
Japantown Cultural District, any potential zoning changes should come through community-led
processes per Policies 18 and 29. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
b. Increase the opportunity to create more small multi-family buildings by replacing lot-based unit
maximum zoning controls with form-based residential or mixed-use zoning in Well-resourced
Neighborhoods near transit. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
c. Create a rezoning program to meet the requirements of San Francisco’s Regional Housing Needs
Allocation and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing laws, relying on a combination of strategies in
actions (a) and (b) above to accommodate approximately 34,000 new units in Well-resourced
Neighborhoods. Complete this effort by January 31, 2026. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
d. Engage with communities living in Well-resourced Neighborhoods to inform existing residents how
locating new housing and permanently affordable housing in every neighborhood can address historic
inequity and injustice and expand housing opportunities for local residents and their families while
strengthening neighborhood vitality. (Planning; Short)

POLICY 21: Prevent the potential displacement and adverse racial and social equity impacts of
zoning changes, planning processes, or public and private investments especially for populations
and areas vulnerable to displacement.

Objective 2.C Increase accountability to American Indian, Black, and other communities of color.
Objective 3.C Eliminate community displacement within areas vulnerable to displacement.
Implementing Program Areas: Antidisplacement and Tenant Support

Actions
a. Based on the Racial and Social Equity Impact Analysis for the Housing Element,49 target levels of
investments to prevent community displacement through increased permanently affordable housing
production, equitable access to housing, and other community stabilization strategies for vulnerable
populations. (Planning; Short)
b. Create benchmarks for affordable housing production and preservation investments to avoid
displacement and other adverse racial and social equity impacts for future zoning changes,
development projects and infrastructure projects according to the scale and location of the proposal,
as informed by the Racial and Social Equity Impact Analysis for the Housing Element. (Planning;
Short)
c. Invest public funding or direct private investment to implement the anti-displacement investments
identified in Policy 21, action (b) for zoning changes, development projects, or infrastructure projects
of certain scale or intensity, in parallel with the project timeline. (MOHCD, SFMTA, OEWD, DPW;
Medium)
d. Increase funding to expand the services of community-based organizations and providers for financial
counseling services listed under Policy 5, action (i), as well as tenant and eviction protection services
listed under Policy 1, to better serve populations and areas vulnerable to displacement; tenant and
eviction protection services include legal services, code enforcement outreach, tenant counseling,
mediation, and housing-related financial assistance; expansion of such services should be informed
by community priorities working with liaisons referenced under Policy 14, action (b). (MOHCD,
Mayor/BOS; Short)

POLICY 22: Create dedicated and consistent local funding sources and advocate for regional, State,
and Federal funding to support building permanently affordable housing for very low-, low-, and
moderate-income households that meets the Regional Housing Needs Allocation targets.

Objective 1.C Eliminate homelessness.
Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.
Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing

Actions
a. Convene City leadership, staff, policymakers, affordable housing advocates, and industry experts to
collaborate on an Affordable Housing Implementation and Funding Strategy that provides specific
recommendations and responsible parties to achieve and sustain the substantial public funding, that
would join with public-private partnerships, needed to support the RHNA targets of over 46,000
moderate and low-income units. Complete this effort by January 31, 2024. (Planning, MOHCD,
Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Incorporate affordable housing investments in the annual funding and Capital Planning process by
identifying existing housing funding sources, housing funding gaps and potential new funding
sources, including local bonds or others that require voter approval. (MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Create a budgeting tool for tracking housing investments, including permanently affordable housing
production, preservation, and housing services; tracking investments that advance community
identified priority actions, per Policy 14, action (c); and, tracking investments that advance racial and
social equity, per Policy 14, action (a). (Planning, MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Short)
d. Dedicate funding within the 10-year Capital Planning process for permanently affordable housing in
Priority Equity Geographies with a goal of building planned projects, while reaching the minimum
targets in Well-resourced Neighborhoods as referenced in Policy 19, action (a). (Mayor/BOS,
MOHCD; Long)
e. Explore the development of public financing tools such as Infrastructure Finance Districts to leverage
the City’s co-investments in order to lower direct City subsidy for permanently affordable housing.
(OEWD; Medium)
f. Develop and support alternative and philanthropic funding sources to deliver permanently affordable
housing faster and at a cheaper per unit cost through tools such as the Housing Accelerator Fund.
(Planning, MOHCD; Medium)
g. Support the Bay Area Housing Financing Authority’s expected efforts to secure voter approval for a
regional measure to fund permanently affordable housing. (MOHCD, Planning; Medium)
h. Advocate for federal legislation to increase Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and Private Activity
Bonds, for example, by changing federal rules to lower the minimum bond financing needed to
access 4% LIHTC (currently 50 percent) to help unlock more LIHTC in San Francisco and statewide.
(MOHCD, Planning; Short)
i. Advocate for State legislation to change the voter approval threshold for General Obligation Bonds
from two-thirds to 50 percent. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
j. Advocate for State legislation to expand non-competitive permanently affordable housing funding
sources. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
k. Collaborate with key organizations to reform Proposition 1350 for commercial property to provide
funding support for local jurisdictions to meet their permanently affordable housing targets.
(Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
l. Develop land acquisition process and program that permits inexpensive long-term leases for land
developed with high affordability. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
m. Assess the City’s capacity to finance a revenue-neutral, mixed-use, social housing program.
(Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)

POLICY 23: Retain and increase the number of moderate- and middle-income households by
increasing their homebuying opportunities and reversing the shortage in housing that is affordable
for these households.

Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.
Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types

Actions
a. Study and implement expansion of shared equity models that offer moderate- and middle-income
homeownership (such as Shared Equity, land trusts, or cooperative ownership) through development
of smaller sized lots. Use the studies cited in Policy 3, action (c), and Policy 11, action (f) to inform
expansion of these models and pursue partnership with private and philanthropic property owners
referenced under Policy 19, action (d). (MOHCD, Planning; Short)
b. Study and implement expansions to programs that create workforce housing for educators to serve
other public-sector essential workers such as transit operators and hospital workers. (Planning,
MOHCD, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Fund the First Responders Down Payment Assistance Loan Program and the SFUSD Educators
Down Payment Assistance Loan Program. (MOHCD; ongoing)
d. Promote location-efficient mortgage and energy-efficient mortgage programs as a tool for expanding
the purchasing power of residents while incentivizing more sustainable trip choices and energy efficient
building practices. (MOHCD; Medium)

POLICY 24: Enable mixed-income development projects to maximize the number of permanently
affordable housing constructed, in balance with delivering other permanent community benefits
that advance racial and social equity.

Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.
Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Infrastructure and Community Services;
Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Through the Inclusionary Technical Analysis Committee, study a new more regular and systematic
methodology for evaluating the inclusionary rates so they are better tied to local conditions and can
maximize total number of Below Market Rate units delivered without public subsidy, in balance with
the directions of Policy 5, action (b). (Planning, MOHCD; Medium)
b. Simplify inclusionary tiers and requirements to address financial feasibility, increase certainty for
housing projects, and reduce staff time and specific expertise. (Planning, Controller’s Office,
MOHCD; Medium)
c. Modify proximity inclusionary requirement to allow for more flexibility in offsite 100% affordable
housing, for example in Priority Equity Geographies regardless of market-rate project site
location. (Planning; Medium)
d. Explore the possibility of additional height increases and density limit removal at major transit nodes
along Rapid bus and rail corridors, in addition to areas referenced in Policy 20, in parallel with
needed infrastructure improvements and maximizing permanently affordable housing units.
(Planning; Medium)
e. Encourage housing project applications that maximize density and height under existing zoning and
regulatory programs as that will result in the production of more permanently affordable housing
units, as informed by the racial and social equity impact analysis referenced in Policy 21, actions (a)
and (b). (Planning; Short)
f. Expand the Public Sites for Housing Program through public-private partnerships and utilize City
resources to support the maximum number of permanently affordable housing units on underutilized
publicly owned and surplus sites, balancing the financial needs of enterprise agencies, and ensuring
adequate space and resources to address the gaps in community infrastructure, services and
amenities. (Planning, OEWD, MOHCD; Long)
g. Support the maximum number of permanently affordable housing units as well as improved transit
facilities on SFMTA owned sites slated for development through leveraging private investment in
market-rate units with public funding. (Planning, OWED, SFMTA, MOHCD; Medium)
h. Create new pathway for onsite inclusionary at 80-120 AMI levels in Well-resourced Neighborhoods to
reduce the financial burden on small, multifamily projects and create more workforce housing.
(Planning, MOHCD; Long
Prioritize maximum permanently affordable housing units as an essential benefit of new mixed-use
development agreements alongside other benefits such as community facilities and transit
investments. (OEWD, Planning; ongoing)
j. Incentivize development projects to exceed the required inclusionary percentages to maximize the
total number of Below Market Rate units via density bonus programs or regulatory paths through
streamlined approval as defined in Policy 25. (Planning; Short)
k. Enable public-private partnership solutions to front-end the necessary funding for infrastructure
investments to expedite housing for large master plans and development agreements with major up
front infrastructure needs, such as Treasure Island, Candlestick Point, Mission Bay, Hunters Point
Shipyard, Parkmerced, and Schlage Lock/Bayland North. Solutions could include Infrastructure
Financy Districts, Tax Increment Financing, or other methods to provide direct City investment,
allocation of public financing, or issuance of other public debt. (OEWD, DPW; Medium)
l. Partner with affordable housing developers to purchase privately-owned entitled sites where
construction may be stalling. (MOHCD,Mayor/BOS; Short)
m. Advocate for regional and State funds through the existing infrastructure bank or other paths to help
finance the infrastructure needs of large urban infill and redevelopment projects. (Planning, OEWD,
Mayor/BOS; Medium)

POLICY 25: Reduce governmental constraints on development in Well-resourced Neighborhoods to
enable small and mid-rise multi-family buildings providing improved housing choice and
affordability.

Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing
middle-income households.
Implementing Program Areas: Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and
Improvement

Actions
a. Establish local ministerial approval51 for housing applications in Well-resourced Neighborhoods
outside of areas vulnerable to displacement that net two or more housing units, do not demolish
existing rent-controlled units, and meet tenant protection and relocation standards as recognized in
the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, by Board of Supervisors or voter approval of a City Charter
amendment or by Board decision to include more project types if or when a non-charter change
pathway is available. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Adopt one or more Housing Sustainability Districts in Well-resourced Neighborhoods outside of
areas vulnerable to displacement that include tenant protections and relocation standards as
recognized in Housing Crisis Act of 2019, by January 31, 2024. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Establish a ministerial pathway for project applications that provide 20% affordable housing on site
through mechanisms described in Policy 25 action (a) through (b), for RHNA Cycle 6 lower-income
sites identified in the Housing Element Update 2022 Sites Inventory that have been reused from
Cycles 4 and 5 as required by per California Government Code §65580(g). (Planning, Mayor/BOS;
Short)
d. Eliminate Commission hearings on any code-complying project in the Well Resourced Neighborhoods
subject to the Housing Accountability Act until January 31, 2027. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)

Policy 26: Streamline and simplify permit processes to provide more equitable access to the
application process, improve certainty of outcomes, and ensure meeting State- and local-required
timelines, especially for 100% affordable housing and shelter projects.

Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to
moderate-income households.
Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing
middle-income households.
Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Reduction of Constraints for Housing
Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Make shelters, temporary housing, or urgent housing measures uses (such as safe sleeping sites)
principally permitted in all zoning districts. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Remove funding approval barriers between City-owned and leased conditions for shelters under the
emergency ordinance or similar future actions. (HSH, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Remove requirement for General Plan referrals for shelters, 100% affordable housing, and
development agreement projects. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
d. Remove Planning Code Section 429 Public Art requirements for 100% affordable housing projects.
(Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
e. Remove Article 12C of the San Francisco Health Code Non-potable Water Ordinance requirements
for 100% affordable housing projects. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
f. Create an administrative process for 100% affordable rehabilitation projects to add accessory
dwelling units. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
g. Expand the Impact Fee exemption to a broader range of permanently affordable housing projects
including those with units affordable up to 120 percent of Area Median Income or projects that rely
on philanthropic capital. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
h. Reduce the minimum lot size to 1,200 square feet and minimum lot width to 20 feet for proposed
projects that net at least one housing unit. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
i. Remove Conditional Use Authorizations or other regulatory barriers for lot consolidation on housing
applications that net two or more housing units, do not demolish existing rent-controlled units, and
meet tenant protection and relocation standards as recognized in Housing Crisis Act of 2019 to
facilitate larger and more efficient housing projects. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
j. Remove Conditional Use Authorization requirement for demolition of single-family or multi-unit
buildings that are not tenant occupied and without history of tenant evictions, that net two or more
housing units, do not demolish existing rent-controlled units, and meet tenant protection and
relocation standards as recognized in Housing Crisis Act of 2019. Continue to apply Conditional Use
requirements to demolition of tenant occupied buildings. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
Remove Conditional Use Authorizations outside of Priority Equity Geographies where required to
achieve greater height or remove an existing use, and instead apply neighborhood notification
procedures for proposed demolition of identified community-service uses, such as theaters, grocery
stores, and laundromats, and support their economic survival through a replacement provision or
participation in a Community Benefit Use program56 as described Policy 37 (d). (Planning, OEWD,
Mayor/BOS; Short)
l. Revise HOME-SF program and entitlement process to apply to more sites and be easier to use by
eliminating Commission hearings for program-compliant projects applications, expand applicability
to RH1, RH2, and RH3 zoned areas, and broaden the modifications to be more aligned with the
State program. Proposed projects should not demolish existing rent-controlled units and must meet
tenant protection and relocation standards as recognized in Housing Crisis Act of 2019. (Planning,
Mayor/BOS; Short)
m. Remove neighborhood notification requirements for projects outside of Priority Equity Geographies
that are code complying, net at least one housing unit, and only expand the rear or side of an
existing building and for all ministerial projects. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
n. Codify commonly applied but unadopted policies, on such topics as roof decks, flats, or draft ground
floor residential design guidelines, to increase certainty in decision-making at Planning Commission.
(Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
o. Study removing the planning code requirement on large development sites south of Harrison Street
in the Central SoMa Special Use District that limits residential uses in proportion to office ones on
sites larger than 40,000 square feet that entail new construction or an addition of 100,000 square feet
or more. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
p. Remove the inner court five-foot setback at each level requirement under Planning Code Section 140
to allow more efficient construction techniques and reduce the cost of housing construction.
(Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
q. Study changes to legislation on wind speeds under Planning Code Section 148 to address
hazardous storm wind speed levels rather than comfort criteria to reduce technical analysis and
expedite housing application approvals or find alternative method to address wind concerns in
downtown. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
r. Modify requirement to collect impact fees upon issuance of a Certificate of Final Completion and
Occupancy instead of issuance of building permit. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
s. Study challenges in and support proposals for adaptive re-use of vacant and under-utilized
commercial office buildings for potential housing, especially if building types work well for groups that would benefit from their proximity to transit, services, or institutions, such as seniors, teachers, or
students. (Planning; Short)

Policy 27: Improve coordination, alignment, shared mission, and functionality of post-entitlement permit processes across agencies and jurisdictions to speed housing construction starts after approvals, especially for 100% affordable housing and development agreements.

Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to moderate-income households.
Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing middle-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Study the designation of a lead permitting agency or assigned project manager for priority projects or projects delivering over 20% affordable housing to facilitate interagency alignment from application start to certificate of occupancy and final certification. (Planning, DBI; Short)
b. Establish objective design standards as part of Better Streets requirements for on- and offsite improvements that supplant existing subjective ones. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
c. Revise public right-of-way (ROW) policy, rules, and procedures across city agencies to facilitate the use of the public ROW for utility infrastructure that would currently be required to be installed on private property to maximize the construction of housing units and expedite post-entitlement approvals. (Planning, DPW; Short)
d. Continue to strengthen coordination of interagency permitting review and approval processes for implementation of approved large master-planned or development agreement projects to accelerate construction timelines of infrastructure improvements. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
e. Modify Article 12C of the San Francisco Health Code Non-Potable Water Ordinance to be required only for housing projects at or over 250,000 gross square feet with projects at or over 100,000 to provide water budget calculations. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
f. Strengthen the interagency coordination to reduce or eliminate the requirements for the associated approvals for publicly funded affordable housing; examples of associated approvals include the PG&E requirements to accommodate Public Utilities Commission (PUC) low-cost electric service, or the multi-agency review of disability access to reduce per-unit construction costs. (Planning, PUC, Mayor/BOS; Short)
g. Resolve common disputes between the PUC and PG&E, especially on affordable housing project applications, which result in unnecessary equipment, delays, and costly upgrades. (Planning, PUC, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
h. Lower the requirement for a major encroachment permit to a minor encroachment permit for housing projects to lay utility lines through public land to meet streetlight requirements for PUC. (Planning, DPW, PUC, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
i. Issue administrative bulletins on code and standards interpretations to support, create certainty of expectations, and reduce review time from the Mayor’s Office of Disability for 100% affordable housing projects. (MOD, MOHCD; Medium)
j. Streamline plan checks, response to revisions, and field inspection process to support and reduce review time from the Mayor’s Office of Disability for 100% affordable housing projects. (MOD, MOHCD; Medium)

POLICY 28: Affirm compliance in State housing law, requirements, and intent by strengthening data collection, clarifying definitions, and further supporting implementation.

Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to moderate-income households.
Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing middle-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Eliminate or remove application of design guidelines that subjectively restrict the massing of housing to ensure compliance with the State’s Housing Accountability Act. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Ensure that local adopted rules and procedures that implement future state housing law support the State’s legislative intent. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Whenever Planning Code amendments or revisions are proposed, advocate for simpler or an overall reduction of rules that affect housing approvals to reduce the specific or institutional knowledge needed by City staff, applicants, and members of the public to increase accessibility. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
d. Revise current hearing procedures for Planning Code Sections 147 and 295 Height Restrictions on Structures Shadowing Property Under the Jurisdiction of the Recreation and Park Commission so that project approvals ensure meeting hearing requirements. (Planning; Short)
e. Remove Commission hearings for program-compliant State Density Bonus projects that do not require additional entitlements. Request clarification from California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on how State Density Bonus Program applies to form-based zoning districts to assure compliance. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
f. Request that HCD and the State legislature to clarify and consolidate permit milestone and timeframe definitions that stem from past legislation to ensure data accuracy and compliance in the required Annual Progress Report. (Planning; Short)
g. Advocate with HCD and the State legislature to interpret, clarify, and consolidate expectations for tenant protections based on recent legislation. (Planning; Short)
h. Advocate for HCD to provide more immediate and standardized implementation support for State housing legislation so that it is directly operational for general planning staff reducing the need for highly specialized experts to reduce constraints on staffing. (Planning; Short)
i. Advocate for AB 101, State legislation that requires Low-Barrier Navigation Centers by right, to cover other crisis interventions that house people that are not considered emergency shelter, for example safe sleeping sites. (HSH, Planning; Medium)
j. To ensure accurate data collection and continued compliance with the Permit Streamlining Act, establish and document two critical markers of site and building permit applications progress: “complete application” and “approved application” in permit application processes. (Planning; Short)
k. Establish more immediate and final CEQA exemption determination to facilitate that a project application is “complete” earlier in the application process to expedite permit processing. Revise data collection process and establish data dashboards on application process, approvals, and unit delivery to provide more accurate, up to date, and transparent information to the State, advocates, and communities and reduce staff time on reporting. Review current requirements and eliminate any out-of-date or redundant housing reporting requirements. (Planning; Short)
l. Re-allocate staffing from housing applications that do not legalize or add housing units, other than repair projects for low-income residents, to support housing production and community-led strategies in Priority Equity Geographies. (Planning; Medium)
m. Continue to implement the Mayor Executive Directives to accelerate creating new housing and expand City department’s compliance with the directives (Mayor Breed’s Executive Directive 18-01 and Mayor Lee’s Executive Directive 17-02). (Planning; Medium)
n. Study, reform, reduce, and/or eliminate CEQA topic processes (e.g., thresholds, screening criteria, technical studies) or notification processes, including those that aren’t required by CEQA statute or guidelines (e.g., wind and shadow in San Francisco). This includes updating bulletins, guidelines, standard operating procedures, and/or local codes that address topics such as air quality, geotechnical, hazardous materials, historic preservation, noise, vibration, transportation, shadow, and wind. (Planning; Medium)
o. Codify local procedures that recognize that housing applications for shelter, temporary housing, or urgent housing measures uses (such as safe sleeping sites) do not meet the standard of a “project” under CEQA, to ensure compliance with AB 101. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
p. Examine what would be necessary to change to allow the definition of a “project” under CEQA without a discretionary process, for example, project applications that only require building permits. (Planning; Medium)
q. Develop a streamlined project-specific addenda process in lieu of the existing community plan exemption (CPE) process or further refine the CPE process to reduce permit application timelines. (Planning; Medium)
r. Analyze interaction between different planning department teams to identify areas where internal application review processes could be reformed and simplified, for example by standardizing and codifying technical studies and best practices, to shorten the time to get to a stable project description. (Planning; Medium)

POLICY 29: Complete community-led processes in Priority Equity Geographies that provide defined community benefits or mitigations for effects of new development consistent with state and federal law in order to reduce burdens on advocates of vulnerable populations and community members and establish more predictable outcomes for housing applications.

Objective 2.C Objective 3.C Objective 4.A
Objective 4.B
Increase accountability to American Indian, Black, and other communities of color. Eliminate community displacement within areas vulnerable to displacement.
Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to moderate-income households.
Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing middle-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Empowerment of Equity Priority Communities; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. In Priority Equity Geographies where community-informed community benefits are provided, streamline approval processes including reducing notification requirements, consolidating appeal hearings, or providing ministerial pathways, for projects that provide increased on-site affordability, to facilitate certainty in the development process and comprehensively address all community concerns. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Support ministerial approval processes for mid-rise and small multi-family buildings that include community benefits such as units serving middle-income households without deed restriction, designating commercial space as a Community Benefit Use, as defined in Policy 37, action (d), offering reduced rent for community-serving purposes via a development agreement or deed- restrictions, or meeting family-friendly criteria as referenced in Policy 33, action (d). (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
c. Support ministerial approval processes for projects that include higher rates of below market rate units beyond required as informed by racial and social equity impact analysis under Policy 21, actions (a) and (b). (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
d. Direct Department staff and resources to review Discretionary Review applications that are filed within Priority Equity Geographies in a timely manner and reallocate the Planning Department’s staff resources from other Discretionary Review applications to support low-income homeowners with technical assistance as identified under Policy 30, action (c), using the Department’s Racial and Social Equity Assessment tool. (Planning; Medium)

POLICY 30: Support the reduction of non-governmental challenges that enable affordable housing and small and mid-rise multi-family buildings as a prominent housing type.

Objective 4.A Substantially expand the amount of permanently affordable housing for extremely low- to moderate-income households.
Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing middle-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement«

Actions
a. Reduce building code or jurisdictional conflicts to enable cost-efficient construction types and materials such as cross laminated timber57, cassette58, or modular59 construction, especially where local jobs are supported. (DBI, Medium)
b. Create low-interest construction loan programs for eligible lower-income homeowners to expand their existing homes with additional units or demolish and replace their homes with more units up the allowable maximum density. (MOHCD, Medium)
c. Create and sustainably fund financing, technical assistance, outreach, and educational programs, such as the Housing Development Incentive Program for Homeowners, for eligible homeowners interested in updating their property from single- to multi-family housing, particularly assisting low- income property owners, households of color, seniors, and people with disabilities. Such programs should ensure accessible accommodations for aging adults and people with disabilities. (Planning, HSA; Short)
d. Explore new fees on housing applications that propose large new or large expansions to single- family homes where no new units are added to create a funding stream for down-payment assistance or construction loans for low-income homeowners as described in Policy 30 (c). (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
e. Expand the construction workforce through training programs in partnership with non-City apprenticeship programs and expand the Local Hire program to allow more projects to participate. (OEWD; Medium)
f. Work with design professionals to produce replicable building details (such as bathroom layouts) that are code compliant and meet accessibility standards on publicly subsidized 100% affordable
housing projects. This will reduce plan review time, field corrections, and cost, while maintaining high-quality standards. (MOHCD, MOD; Medium)
g. Expanded use of third-party consulting peer review of construction documents on publicly subsidized 100% affordable housing projects. (MOHCD, MOD; Medium)
h. Implement innovations in project financing, including options for payment and performance bonds, retention, and other contract terms, expedited payments to contractors on publicly subsidized 100% affordable housing projects. (MOHCD, MOD; Medium)
i. Support expansion of nonprofit project management capacity, especially focused on areas of the city that haven't seen much affordable housing development. (MOHCD; Medium)
j. Support new systems of property management and asset management for efficiencies and low cost/ per unit for expanded portfolios that include mid and smaller size buildings. (MOHCD; Medium)

POLICY 31: Facilitate small and mid-rise multi-family buildings that private development can deliver to serve middle-income households without deed restriction, including through adding units in lower density areas or by adding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

Objective 3.B Create a sense of belonging for all communities of color within Well-resourced neighborhoods through expanded housing choice.
Objective 4.B Expand small and mid-rise multi-family housing production to serve our workforce, prioritizing middle-income households.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Allow a minimum of four units on all residential lots with a minimum of six on corner lots, expanding on the State duplex/lot split program (SB 9), and include programs and incentives that target these new homes to moderate- and middle-income households as described in Policy 26. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Revise and codify SB 9 program implementation with Department of Building Inspection to ensure that both flag-shaped lots and utility easements for lot splits are accepted. (DBI; Planning, Short)
c. Prioritize City permitting staff resources for the review of ADUs that do not displace tenants. (DBI; Planning, Short)
d. Continue to strengthen the interagency coordination (e.g. Roundtable Review) for permit processing of ADUs and implement an integrated online permitting system and permitting governance structure to support permit streamlining and government transparency. (Planning, DBI; ongoing)
e. Create an affordable ADU program that provides financial support for professional services and construction of units that serve low-income households. (Planning, MOHCD; Short)
f. Encourage Junior ADUs (JADUs) as an effective and low-cost way of adding habitable space within existing single-family homes, as JADUs also expand opportunities for multi-generational living. (Planning; Short)
g. Revise ADU rent control provisions under local program to start ten years after issuance of Certificate of Occupancy to support homeowners adding units in existing single- and two-family housing. (Planning; Short)

POLICY 32: Promote and facilitate aging in place for seniors and multi-generational living that supports extended families and communal households.

Objective 4.C Diversify housing types for all cultures, family structures, and abilities.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Existing Housing Preservation and Affordability; Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Increase permanently affordable senior housing along transit corridors to improve mobility of aging adults and seniors, particularly for extremely- and very-low income households including through expansion of Senior Operating Subsidies as referenced in Policy 5, action (j). (MOHCD; Long)
b. Pursue multi-generational living for extended families and communal households that have space and amenities for children, working-age adults, seniors and persons with disabilities, when building permanently affordable senior housing referenced under Policy 27, action (a) above, or cooperative housing referenced in Policy 23, action (a). (MOHCD; Long)
c. Create or support financing programs that support aging in place, including improvements to accessibility through home modifications or building ADUs, and supported by technical assistance programs referenced in Policy 26, action (c). (Planning, HSA, MOHCD; Short)
d. Implement new strategies to support and prevent the loss of residential care facilities, using the recommendations of the Assisted Living Working Group of the Long-term Care Coordinating Council,61 including business support services, as well as City-funded subsidies for affordable placement of low-income residents (DPH, HSA; Medium)
e. Support and explore expanding the Home Match Program to match seniors with people looking for housing that can provide home chore support in exchange for affordable rent. (HSA, MOHCD; Medium)
f. Permit uses and eliminate regulatory limitations, such as conditional use authorizations, that discourage innovative, smaller housing types where licensing is not required, such as co-housing62 with amenities that support seniors and those with disabilities. (Planning; Medium)
g. Strengthen interagency coordination to identify and implement strategies to address the housing needs of seniors and people with disabilities, informed by the Housing Needs Assessments referenced in Policy 6, action (f). (HSA, Planning, MOHCD, MOD; Short)
h. Revise San Francisco definition of “family” to meet State requirements. (Planning; Short)
61 Supporting Affordable Assisted Living in San Francisco, January 2019, Assisted Living Facility (ALF) Workgroup | San Francisco Human
Services Agency (sfhsa.org)
62 Co-housing, group housing, or co-living rooms are a type of housing that may have limited cooking facilities and do not contain a full kitchen in each room. Co-housing may include (but is not limited to) communes, fraternities and sororities, or Residential Hotels.
Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Existing Housing Preservation and Affordability; Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement; Vulnerable Groups

POLICY 33: Prevent the outmigration of families with children and support the needs of families to grow.

Objective 4.C Diversify housing types for all cultures, family structures, and abilities.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types; Homeless Prevention and Elimination; Infrastructure and Community Services; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Identify neighborhoods with a higher concentration of low-income, immigrant, and rent- burdened families with children, such as Tenderloin, Mission, Chinatown, and/or SoMA, and allocate resources to increase permanently affordable housing that addresses their income and needs in those neighborhoods. (MOHCD, Planning; Medium)
b. Establish programs to assist extremely low and very low-income families with children to relocate from SROs and overcrowding living conditions to appropriate permanently affordable housing. (MOHCD, Planning; Medium)
c. Develop objective design standards for child-friendly amenities within new buildings particularly for small and mid-rise multi-family buildings. (Planning; Short)
d. Establish criteria for family-friendly housing to support these projects through processes referenced in Policy 25, action (b). Such criteria can include development projects with substantially higher number of two- or three-bedroom units than required; that are affordable to a wide range of low- to middle-income households and meet the child-friendly design standards established in Policy 28, action (b). (Planning; Medium)
e. Collaborate with the San Francisco Unified School District to evaluate the feasibility of providing a priority in the school assignment process for low-income families and those living in permanently affordable housing. (Planning, SFUSD, MOHCD; Medium)
f. Continue to require multi-bedroom unit mixes. (Planning; ongoing)

POLICY 34: Encourage co-housing to support ways for households to share space, resources, and responsibilities, especially to reinforce supportive relationships within and across communities and generations.

Objective 4.C Diversify housing types for all cultures, family structures, and abilities.

Implementing Program Areas: Accessible and Affordable Housing; Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Eliminate the definition of “group housing” and modify “dwelling unit” to include “more than one” family in the Planning Code and to include minimum quality of life standards, such as cooking facilities and common space. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
b. Support process and code changes in Priority Equity Geographies that seek to define specific needs or limits around co-housing types, as informed by Policy 18. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Create a co-housing informational program that provides ideas and recommendations on types, financing structures, precedents, and technical guidance to support their creation in Cultural Districts and Priority Equity Geographies to meet community needs. (Planning; Short)
d. Support co-housing developments on parcels owned by non-profits, like sites owned by religious institutions, to further encourage philanthropically financed affordable housing. (Planning; Short)

POLICY 35: Require new commercial developments and large employers, hospitals, and educational institutions to help meet housing demand generated by anticipated job growth to maintain an appropriate jobs-housing fit, and address housing needs of students.

Objective 4.C Diversify housing types for all cultures, family structures, and abilities.

Implementing Program Areas: Access to Housing; Accessible and Affordable Housing; Facilitation of Diverse Housing Types; Vulnerable Groups

Actions
a. Conduct a feasibility study to assess large employers affordable housing funding on an ongoing- basis to complement the jobs housing linkage requirements. (Planning, OEWD, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
b. Encourage and provide opportunities for large commercial developments to build housing or dedicate land in lieu of their jobs housing linkage fee with affordability requirements that align with the income levels of the households anticipated to fill new jobs. (Planning, OEWD, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
c. Provide paths for large employers to contribute funding to and/or partner with non-profit developers to provide homeownership opportunities. (Planning; Medium)
d. Maintain the jobs housing linkage program and adjust the fee levels based on an updated nexus study and feasibility study on a regular basis. (Planning; Long)
e. Explore expanding jobs housing linkage fees to large employer institutional developments (medical and educational) who are currently not subject to jobs housing linkage fees. (Planning, OEWD, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
f. Pursue partnerships that commit large employer institutions who are not subject to job housing linkage fees (hospitals and educational institutions) to conduct an analysis of the housing demand of their employees and to meet that demand within institutional master plans or
equivalent documents. (Planning, OEWD, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
g. Pursue partnerships with educational institutions to identify the housing needs of students, monitor implementation of planned student housing in institutional master plans, and promote strategies to address the unmet housing needs of students. (Planning; Medium)

POLICY 36: Maximize the use of existing housing stock for residential use by discouraging vacancy, short-term use, and speculative resale.

Objective4.C Diversifyhousingtypesforallcultures,familystructures,andabilities.

Implementing Program Areas: Existing Housing Preservation and Affordability

Actions
a. Explore legislating a vacancy tax for residential units that stay empty for long periods of a year or used as secondary or vacation homes. (Planning, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
b. Explore regulatory paths, including a tax or other regulatory structures, for short term speculative resale of residential units, particularly those which seek to extract value out of evicting tenants, or rapid reselling to more lucrative markets. (Planning; Medium)
c. Continue to improve compliance, enforcement, and restrictions on short-term rentals. (Planning; ongoing)

POLICY 37: Facilitate neighborhoods where proximity to daily needs and high-quality community services and amenities promotes social connections, supports caregivers, reduces the need for private auto travel, and advances healthy activities.

Objective 5.A Connect people to jobs and their neighborhood with numerous, equitable, and healthy transportation and mobility options.
Objective 5.C Elevate expression of cultural identities through the design of active and engaging neighborhood buildings and spaces.

Implementing Program Areas: Cultural Stability; Infrastructure and Community Actions

Actions
a. Develop or adopt certification programs for community-serving businesses, such as grocery stores, childcare centers, healthcare clinics, and laundromats. Eliminate conditional use authorizations or reduce entitlement requirements related to lot size or commercial uses for new housing developments that include businesses that meet such requirements, allow them to participate in a Community Benefit Use program as described in Policy 32, action (d), or provide rental subsidies to them. (Planning, OEWD; Medium)
b. In Cultural Districts, reduce conditional use authorizations or other entitlement barriers for mixed-use buildings that can commit via deed restriction or other legal agreement to the inclusion of businesses, institutions, or services that support Cultural District needs and identity for a minimum of ten years. (Planning; Short)
c. Incentivize new housing to commit via deed restrictions or other legal agreement to below market rate commercial leases for community-based organizations serving the neighborhood community for a minimum of ten years by providing fee waivers, especially in Cultural Districts. (Planning; Medium)
d. Study the creation of a Community Benefit Use program, referenced in Policy 25, action (b) and Policy 32, action (i), that allows new housing developments to have a highly flexible ground floor use entitlement and tenants to be eligible for rent subsidy in exchange for community participation in tenant selection or for businesses that obtain certifications as described in Policy 32, action (a). (Planning; Short)
e. Strengthen interagency coordination, review, and compliance processes to ensure that walking and biking infrastructure and safety improvements are integrated into planning, funding, and construction and/or rehabilitation of public projects (e.g., parks and open spaces, libraries, and transit facilities) in addition to private development projects. (Planning, MTA, DPW; Short)
f. Organize housing and neighborhood business and service areas to prioritize proximity in neighborhood planning or development agreement projects that propose land use changes. (Planning; Medium)
g. Create and a long-range community facilities plan, and update every 5-10 years, for public facilities including parks, recreation centers, schools, libraries, to accommodate a thirty-year projected population growth, informed by equity metrics in a manner that secures equitable access in Priority Equity Geographies, Environmental Justice Communities, and Well-resourced Neighborhoods that are targeted for increased housing capacity, building on processes such as the Community Facilities Framework, and in collaboration with Interagency Plan Implementation Committee. (Planning, SFRPD, LIB, SFUSD; Medium)
h. Develop a comprehensive and regularly updated map of daily needs, amenities, and community facilities, to inform the work of the interagency coordination under action (e) as well as community- based organizations in planning for services, resources, open space, and businesses to be near each other and supportive to communities. (Planning, MTA, DPW, OEWD, DYCF, HSA; Medium)
i. Expand and allow community serving uses, such as retail, restaurants, and personal services within areas that are primarily residential especially on corner parcels, especially uses under the Community Benefit Use program defined under Policy 32 action (d). (Planning; Short)
j. Change regulations and definitions in current Planning code to improve flexibility on allowing home- based businesses and work from home in residential districts, for example, create an accessory entrepreneurial use that allows up to two employees. (Planning; Short)
k. Continue to adhere to guidelines in the Better Streets Plan when new housing creates improvements to sidewalks, streets, and other public spaces. (Planning; ongoing)
l. Encourage uses in the ground floor of buildings that support housing, neighborhood activity and identity, especially in Cultural Districts, over inclusion of utility infrastructure, such as transformer vaults. (Planning, DPW; Short)

POLICY 38: Ensure transportation investments create equitable access to transit and are planned in parallel with increase in housing capacity to advance well-connected neighborhoods consistent with the Cityʼs Connect SF vision, and encourage sustainable trips65 in new housing.

Objective 5.A Connect people to jobs and their neighborhood with numerous, equitable, and healthy transportation and mobility options.
Objective 5.B Advance environmental justice, climate, and community resilience.

Implementing Program Areas: Infrastructure and Community Services

Actions
a. Strengthen interagency coordination for transportation, evaluating the existing and future needs of Priority Equity Geographies, Environmental Justice Communities, and Well-resourced Neighborhoods targeted for increased housing capacity, and plan for staffing and funding needed for these investments (e.g., general obligation bonds, federal grants). This includes delivering a network such that transit vehicles come as frequently as every five minutes66 along certain corridors, and for transit services consistent with the city’s Connect SF vision and its Transit Strategy (SFMTA, Planning, SFCTA; Medium)
b. Restore, maintain, and optimize the existing transit system, particularly through SFMTA’s 5-year Capital Improvement Program’s Transit Optimization and Expansion Projects in Well-resourced Neighborhoods targeted for increased housing capacity. (SFMTA, Planning; Short)
c. Restore and improve transit service as identified in the city’s Transit Strategy, particularly for essential workers, transit-dependent people, and in Priority Equity Geographies and Environmental Justice communities (SFMTA; Short)
d. Adopt requirements that encourage trips using priority modes67 in new housing and reduce transportation impacts from new housing. Such amendments may require certain new housing to include additional transportation demand management measures and driveway and loading operations plans, protect pedestrian, cycling, and transit-oriented street frontages from driveways, and reduce vehicular parking. (Planning, SFMTA; Short)

POLICY 39: Support the repair and rehabilitation of housing to ensure life safety, health, and well- being of residents, especially in Environmental Justice Communities, and to support sustainable building practices.

Objective 1.A Ensure housing stability and healthy homes
Objective 5.B Advance environmental justice, climate, and community resilience

Implementing Program Areas: Healthy, Sustainable and Resilient Housing

Actions
a. Create and expand programs to improve indoor air quality for existing housing, particularly in Environmental Justice Communities, such as applying the standards in Article 38 of SF Health Code to such housing. (Planning, DPH; Short)
b. Create electric conversion policies and programs for existing housing that decrease the use of gas appliances in homes to support respiratory health in children, prioritizing Environmental Justice Communities. (DOE, Mayor/BOS; Short)
c. Support and streamline permits for energy retrofit, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and weatherization upgrades. (DBI, Planning; Short)
d. Expand funding for acquisition and rehabilitation programs to remove mold, lead, and other health hazards through programs such as Fix Lead SF and CALHome. (Mayor/BOS; Medium)
e. Continue to connect residents and housing developments with technical support and financing programs for earthquake safety retrofits such as the Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program. (DBI, ORCP; ongoing)
f. Create programs to provide rehabilitation assistance to qualified homeowners to maintain exterior cladding, rooves, and essential building utilities in housing in Environmental Justice Communities. (DBI; Medium)

POLICY 40: Enforce and improve planning processes and building regulations to ensure a healthy environment for new housing developments, especially in Environmental Justice Communities.

Objective 1.A Ensure housing stability and healthy homes
Objective 5.B Advance environmental justice, climate, and community resilience.

Implementing Program Areas: Empowerment of Equity Priority Communities; Healthy, Sustainable and Resilient Housing; Infrastructure and Community Services

Actions
a. Identify the public health needs of neighborhoods through community planning processes or large- scale development projects by engaging community-based organizations; public health needs include addressing air, soil, groundwater contamination, and noise pollution (Planning, DPH, PUC, ORCP, PORT; Medium)
b. Ensure and reinforce that all community planning efforts meet the City’s 2021 Climate Action Plan, and future updates to this plan, to prepare neighborhoods and future housing projects for sea level rise impacts, especially in Priority Equity Geographies and Environmental Justice Communities. (Planning; Short)
c. Provide neighborhood and infrastructure planning to mitigate flooding risk during weather events or due to climate crisis impacts. (Planning, SFPUC; Medium)
d. Enhance high-pressure fire protection for the Westside of San Francisco by implementing and constructing Phase 1 of the Westside Potable Emergency Firefighting Water System (PEFWS) and continue to work with the community and obtain funding to implement and construct Phase 2 of the PEFWS. (SFPUC, Mayor/BOS; Medium)
e. Develop and require community accountability measures, including notification and engagement of residents, when building housing on environmentally contaminated sites located in Environmental Justice Communities and Priority Equity Geographies. (Planning; Short)
f. Develop notification processes in planning efforts in geographies that include polluting sources, such as freeways, to anticipate solutions for potential future sensitive populations such as seniors, children, and those with disabilities. (Planning; Short)
g. Strengthen building standards to ensure that new housing developments limit sound intrusion from exterior and interior sources. (DBI, Planning; Short)
h. Explore whether certification or building codes effectively incentivize the use of low VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials in new construction to reduce exposure. (DBI, Planning; Short)
i. Maximize the installation of site-appropriate, native trees and vegetation at grade and on roofs in new residential development, especially in neighborhoods with less tree canopy coverage as per the SF Better Streets Plan, the SF Green Landscaping Ordinance, and the SF Better Roofs Ordinance. (Planning, DPW; Short)
j. Update Planning Code requirements, such as the SF Green Landscaping Ordinance, to reduce paved surfaces and underground enclosed space in rear and side yards to specifically retain deep soil for trees and more sustainable vegetation. (Planning; Short)
k. Study and document the impact of open space and housing based on scientific analysis for people’s health, especially for children, for the Commission’s use in evaluating development agreements that include housing and rear yard variances in housing applications (Planning, DPH, RPD; Short)
l. Enforce compliance with existing requirements in the SF Stormwater Management Ordinance to incorporate on-site stormwater management and flood resilience. (SFPUC, Planning; ongoing)
m. WithpassageofmoreopportunitiesforministerialapprovalsinPolicy25,redirectPlanningDepartment environmental planning staff time towards long-range efforts that reduce the city’s regional and global contributions to the climate crisis over site-by-site impacts to immediate area or temporary conditions, except in Priority Equity Geographies or other areas identified as Environmental Justice Communities. (Planning; Medium)
n. Study ways, such as through capital planning, to mitigate environmental conditions, such as wind, especially in Priority Equity Geographies, that are changeable due to the climate crisis, impacted by many sites providing important city contributions (such as housing units), and not pragmatically solvable on a site-by-site basis. (Planning; Medium)

POLICY 41: Shape urban design policy, standards, and guidelines to enable cultural and identity expression, advance architectural creativity and durability, and foster neighborhood belonging.

Objective 5.C Elevate expression of cultural identities through the design of active and engaging neighborhood spaces and buildings.

Implementing Program Areas: Cultural Stability; Reduction of Constraints for Housing Development, Maintenance and Improvement

Actions
a. Develop Objective Design Standards that reduce subjective design review of housing projects while ensuring that new development in existing neighborhoods support livability, building durability, access to light and outdoor space, and creative expression. (Planning; Short)
b. Create and adopt a new objective design standard to require the use of natural and durable materials for front façade and windows, for example stucco, stone, concrete, wood, and metal, subject to periodic, amended revision and eliminate existing design guidelines, except in Special Area Design Guidelines or adopted or listed Historic Districts, that require detailed front façade compatibility with surrounding neighborhood architectural patterns, for example window proportions, roof shape, or type of entry. (Planning; Short)
c. Complete, adopt, and apply the Ground Floor Residential Design Guidelines to housing projects, in coordination with State requirements. These recommend porches, stoops, and accessible open space near sidewalks to invite social engagement and belonging. (Planning; Medium)
d. Create Special Area Design Guidelines if requested by communities in Cultural Districts and Priority Equity Geographies where the design of public space and architecture could help reinforce cultural identities, and in coordination with State requirements. (Planning; Medium)
e. Replace terminology of “neighborhood character” and “neighborhood compatibility” in the Urban Design Element with terms that more directly support avoiding severe changes to building scale and/or architectural expression that dehumanize the experience of the built environment. Explore implications with Proposition M68. (Planning; Short)
f. Eliminate the use of “neighborhood character” and/or “neighborhood compatibility” terminology in case report findings towards approvals. (Planning; Short)
g. Given health and safety requirements in the Building Code and rear yard requirements in the Planning Code, eliminate the use of “light” and “air” terminology in case report findings to support discretionary requests. (Planning; Short)

POLICY 42: Support cultural uses, activities, and architecture that sustain San Francisco's diverse cultural heritage.

Objective 5.C Elevate expression of cultural identities through the design of active and engaging neighborhood buildings and spaces.

Implementing Program Areas: Cultural Stability; Healthy, Sustainable and Resilient Housing

Actions
a. Utilize the Cultural Districts program to support building permanently affordable housing, along with other housing development and neighborhood investments that include cultural activities, uses, traditions, and spaces, in coordination with Policy 12. (Planning, MOHCD, OEWD, ARTS, DPW; Medium)
b. Increase staff allocation within MOHCD, OEWD, DPW, ARTS, and Planning to create a more robust, sustained, and effective Cultural Districts program, provide more direct support for the development and implementation of their respective Cultural History Housing and Economic Sustainability Strategies (CHHESS). (MOHCD, Planning, OEWD, ARTS, DPW; Medium)
c. Study creation of a cultural resource mitigation fund that could be paid into by projects that impact cultural resources to support cultural resource protection and preservation throughout the city, prioritizing funding the development of cultural spaces as described in Policy 12, action (f). (MOHCD/Planning/OEWD; Medium)
d. Designate historically and culturally significant buildings, landscapes, and districts for preservation using the Citywide Cultural Resource Survey, Planning Code Articles 10 and 11, and state and national historic resource registries to ensure appropriate treatment of historic properties that are important to the community and unlock historic preservation incentives for more potential housing development sites. (Planning; Short)
e. Promote the use of the Retained Elements Special Topic Design Guidelines to development applicants to address sites where conserving parts of buildings sustains cultural identity and proposed housing serves the community. (Planning; Short)
f. Establish priority building permit and entitlement Planning Department review processes for multi- family residential development projects that rehabilitate or adaptively reuse existing buildings to support sustainable building practices, per Policy 34, while preserving cultural resources. (Planning; Short)
g. Develop objective design standards for the treatment of historic buildings and districts to provide consistent and efficient regulatory review that facilitates housing development approvals and protects the City’s cultural and architectural heritages. (Planning; Short)
h. Promote historic preservation and cultural heritage incentives, such as tax credit programs and the State Historical Building Code, for use in residential rehabilitation projects through general outreach, interagency collaboration with MOHCD and OEWD, building trades collaboration, educational materials, community capacity building efforts, and through the regulatory review process. (Planning, MOHCD, OEWD; Medium)
i. Revise Urban Design Guidelines to provide guidance on including signage, lighting, public art, historical interpretation and educational opportunities in housing development projects in a manner that reflects neighborhood history and culture, prioritizing the acknowledgement and representation of American Indian history and culture, in coordination with State requirements. (Planning, ART; Short)
j. Complete the Citywide Cultural Resources Survey, including the citywide historic context statement, with ongoing community engagement to identify important individual historic or cultural resources and districts. (Planning; Medium)
k. Complete the Heritage Conservation Element of the General Plan in order to bring clarity and accountability to the City’s role in sustaining both the tangible and intangible aspects of San Francisco’s cultural heritage. (Planning; Ongoing)