San Francisco

Fast Out of the Gate
Housing Element Status
Certified
Rent Burden
37%
rent burdened
Affordable Housing Production
71%
affordable permits issued
Housing Policies and Programs
221
total policies
Share

Proposed Policies and Programs

Housing policies and programs are the strategies and laws that cities and counties legally have at their disposal to produce more and preserve existing affordable housing, as well as protect existing residents from getting displaced from their homes and communities.

5th Cycle Programs and Policies

221
policies and programs

Local housing policies and programs, as part of a housing element, have significant impacts on a city or county reaching its affordable housing goals. Each additional housing policy has a significant impact on the residents who are most in need of affordable housing. However, the number of policies or programs that a jurisdiction includes in their housing element is not meant to imply how well a city or county is addressing local housing needs since the quality and impact of each will need to be determined as well. Policies and programs listed here from jurisdictions’ Housing Elements are intended to allow readers to review the text themselves and see if a city or county is doing all they can to reach their affordable housing goals.

2023 Policies and Programs Categorization

To further policy innovation and local action, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) contacted all of the region's jurisdictions to track the adoption of key housing policies throughout the nine county Bay Area in four major categories Protect, Preserve, Produce, and Prevent.The policies that follow are ones adopted by this jurisdiction from the full list that ABAG has tracked. This city’s data has been updated for 2023 because it is one of the Partnership for the Bay’s Future partner jurisdictions.

Protect
9/11
Preserve
7/9
Produce
13/14
Prevent
6/8
Acquisition/Rehabiliation/Conversion
By-Right Strategies
Commercial Development Impact Fee
Condominium Conversion Ordinance
Flexible Parking Requirements
Form-Based Codes
General Fund Allocation
Graduated Density Bonus
Homeowner Repair or Rehabilitation
Home Sharing Programs
Housing Development Impact Fee
Implementation of SB743
Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
In-Lieu Fees (Inclusionary Zoning)
Just Cause Eviction
Locally-Funded Homebuyer Assistance
One-to-One Replacement
Reduced Fees or Permit Waivers
Rent Stabilization
SRO Preservation Ordinance
Streamlined Permitting Process
Surplus Public Lands Act
Tenant-Based Assistance
Housing Overlay Zones
Mobile Homes Conversion Ordinance
Preservation of Mobile Homes (Rent Stabilization Ordinance)
San Francisco's Recorded Housing Policies

The California Department of Housing and Community Development tracks all of the ongoing and completed programs from 2018 onward and can be seen in the table below.

For specific cities we have compiled the 2023 data from housing elements to be viewed and downloaded here.
YEAR
PROGRAM NAME
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
STATUS
ACCOMPLISHED DATE
HOUSING CYCLE
2022
5.Consistent with the SFMTA’s Climate Action Plan, MTA shall continue Transit-Oriented Development efforts, including identifying large MTA sites (rail, storage and maintenance yards) that can serve as potential housing sites and working with MOH and the private sector towards their development.
Objective 1: Identify and make available for development adequate sites to meet the city's housing needs, especially permanently affordable housing.
Construction on the Phelan Loop & Public Plaza, a large SFMTA site that will soon feature a 72-unit affordable housing development, was completed in Fall 2012 SFMTA’s ‘Real Estate and Facilities Vision for the 21st Century’ report, published January 15, 2013, identifies three priority sites for TOD potential: Presidio South, Upper Yard and Potrero. The Upper Yard broke ground on October 2020 for a 100% affordable housing development. SFMTA launched planning for modernization and development of Potrero Yard in 2018. https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/The%20SFMTA%E2%80%99s%20Real%20Estate%20and%20Facilities%20Vision%20for%20the%2021st%20Century_0.pdf
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
26. The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services shall expand the capacity of the Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN), a partnership of City Agencies, local non profits and committed community leaders, to share information to prepare homeowners and residents for natural disasters.
Objective 2: Retain existing housing units, and promote safety and maintenance standards, without jeopardizing affordability.
NEN's Empowered Communities Program (ECP) has engaged neighborhoods and communities throughout San Francisco in developing resiliency and recovery plans. http://www.empowersf.org/
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
44. Planning and MOH shall continue to implement and update the Citywide Inclusionary Housing Program, which promotes the inclusion of permanently affordable units in housing developments of 10 or more units. The City shall evaluate the effectiveness of this program including: on-site, off-site, in-lieu fees, and land dedication options, and develop modifications to maximize the delivery of affordable housing units and mixed-income development in San Francisco neighborhoods through this program.
Objective 4: Foster a housing stock that meets the needs of all residents across lifecycles.
https://sfmohcd.org/dashboards-and-data
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
58. DPH shall continue to offer permanent supportive housing and shelter programs; as well as services and clinics which deliver a variety of health services to homeless persons; and to provide on-site case managers who can help residents avoid eviction.
Objective 6: Reduce homeless and the risk of homelessness.
The Department of Public Health continues to provide the following programs, Direct Access to Housing (DAH) Program (permanent supportive housing), Homeless Death Prevention (shelter), Winter Shelter Program (shelter), Community Housing Partnership (shelter).
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
62. HSA and DPH will continue to administer operating subsidies for special needs housing through their supportive housing programs.
Objective 7: Secure funding and resources for permanently affordable housing, including innovative programs that are not solely reliant on traditional mechanisms of capital.
The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund provides rental assistance to help people in the Bay Area and operates independently of the City and County of San Francisco. The Homeless Prenatal Program (rental subsidy) continues to receive funding from HSH, HSA, MOHCD. MOHCD maintains lists of Affordable and Low-Income Housing Opportunities for Seniors and Adults with Disabilities, and Housing for the Elderly and Disabled Persons both of which share subsidized housing .
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
92.The Planning Department has a completed draft of the Preservation Element and the final document will undergo Environmental Review in 2015.
Objective 11: Recognize the diverse and distinct character of San Francisco's neighborhoods.
The Planning Department worked on the Heritage Conservation Element (formerly Preservation Element), a new Element added to the General Plan, in 2014. The Conservation Element process has been indefinitely placed on hold, and may resume late 2022 or 2023 as SF Planning gains more momentum with the Cultural Resource survey and cultural districts work. A working draft of the Conservation Element is complete and may be used as a foundation when work resumes.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
107. The City shall continue to support efforts to use state or regional funds to give housing subsidies or income tax credits to employees who live close to their workplaces, and shall consider offering housing subsidies or income tax credits to employees who live close to their workplaces.
Objective 13: Prioritize sustainable development in planning for and constructing new housing.
.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
1.Planning staff shall provide data to the Planning Commission through the Quarterly Residential Pipeline Dashboard on the expected unit type and income level of any proposed projects or area plans under review, the cumulative ratio of affordable and inclusionary housing to market rate housing, including how such units would address the City’s fair share of the Regional Housing Needs. The Department will work to include information about new jobs created in the city by wage. The Department will also summarize available sales price data for new housing as a part of the Quarterly Residential Pipeline Dashboard to help the Planning Commission, planning staff and the public understand trends in housing prices of new construction.
Objective 1: Identify and make available for development adequate sites to meet the city's housing needs, especially permanently affordable housing.
Staff includes a table in each commission approved case report indicating projects approved relative to RHNA targets. The Department updates this data on a quarterly basis in coordination with the quarterly pipeline report.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
14.Planning shall continue to impose requirements under the Jobs Housing Linkage Program, and shall work with new or expanding commercial and institutional uses to plan for the related housing need they generate. The fee structure should also be reviewed regularly to ensure that developers continue to contribute adequately to the costs created by the demand for housing caused by their projects, while not damaging project feasibility.
Objective 1: Identify and make available for development adequate sites to meet the city's housing needs, especially permanently affordable housing.
The Jobs-Housing Linkage Program Fee Schedule, last updated December 1, 2019, is available here: https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/resources/2020-12/Impact_Fee_Schedule_2020.pdf
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
30. Planning shall continue to enforce the Residential Hotel Unit Conversion and Demolition Ordinance.
Objective 3: Protect the affordability of the existing housing stock, especially rental units.
Residential Hotel Unit conversions and demolitions are tracked by SFDBI and reported annually in the Planning Department's Housing Inventory.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
78. MOH shall continue to ensure relocation of all tenants who are displaced, or who lose Section 8 subsidies, through housing reconstruction and preferential consideration.
Objective 9: Protect the affordability of units at risk of losing subsidies or being converted to market rate housing.
SFRA has been disbanded as of March 1, 2012. The Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, the successor agency, continues to work with MOH to ensure relocation of tenants who are displaced or who lose Section 8 subsidies. http://sfmohcd.org/former-sfra-housing-programs
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
83. The Department of the Environment, Planning and other agencies shall coordinate City efforts to update the Climate Action Plan, create climate protection amendments to the San Francisco General Plan, and develop other plans for addressing greenhouse gases necessary per AB 32 and SB 375.
Objective 10: Ensure streamlined, yet thorough and transparent decision-making process.
Climate Action Strategy 2017 Transportation sector update was presented to the Planning Commission in October 2017: http://commissions.sfplanning.org/cpcpackets/Climate%20Action%20Strategy.1pdf.pdf Each department required to produce and update a Department Climate Action Plan annually. In 2010, the Planning department published the first Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy in compliance with the CEQA Air Quality Guidelines. The 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP) can be found here: https://sfplanning.org/project/san-francisco-climate-action-plan
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
95. The Planning Department’s “Implementation Group” shall continue to manage the implementation of planned growth areas after Plan adoption, including programming impact fee revenues and coordinating with other City agencies to ensure that needed infrastructure improve- ments are built.
Objective 12: Balance housing growth with adequate infrastructure that serves the city's growing population.
The Interagency Plan Implementation Committee (IPIC) Annual Report was last released on January 2022. From the latest report, revenue came in more slowly than anticipated for the third year in a row. As a result, many infrastructure projects for which funds were appropriated in fiscal year 2021 and prior have not received the funds as originally planned. https://sfplanning.org/project/implementing-our-community-plans#monitoring-plan-success
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
111. The City shall continue local and state incentive programs for green upgrades.
Objective 13: Prioritize sustainable development in planning for and constructing new housing.
Department of the Environment continues to offer incentives for green upgrades to homes and businesses: https://sfenvironment.org/buildings-environments/green-building/policy-incentives-and-resources/incentives
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
27. DBI shall continue to ensure that residential units meet building code standards by responding to complaints and through periodic inspection.
Objective 2: Retain existing housing units, and promote safety and maintenance standards, without jeopardizing affordability.
http://www.sfdbi.org/inspection-services
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
55. The Department of Public Health, the Human Services Agency; the Mayor’s Office of Community Development; the Department on the Status of Women; the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families; the Mayor’s Office of Housing continue to implement the 10 year plan to end the “Continuum of Care Five-Year Strategic Plan of San Francisco.” The City has also created a new Mayoral office, the Housing, Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagement (HOPE), which find ways to improve outcomes for individuals in all forms of city sponsored housing-including shelters, supportive, public and affordable housing.
Objective 6: Reduce homeless and the risk of homelessness.
A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. On July 1, 2016, the City launched a new agency known as the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH): http://dhsh.sfgov.org/. HSH has a singular focus on preventing and ending homelessness for people in San Francisco. HSH is the lead agency and LHCB is the governing body that oversee CoC the Continuum of Carein San Francisco. A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. HSH's first five-year strategic framework was released in 2017 and the most recent Strategic Framework Update was released in September 20202021. A new strategic plan will be available in 2022. https://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-Implementation-Plan-FINAL-4-1-21.pdf https://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2020-Implementation-Plan-During-COVID-19_FINAL.pdf In 2018, San Francisco voters passed Prop C. This ballot measure provides significant new funding for homelessness and mental health services. HSH is using Prop C funding to enhance resources across their system of care, with a focus on acquiring new Permanent Supportive Housing. In 2020, Mayor Breed laid out the Homelessness Recovery Plan to help ensure the City’s recovery from COVID-19 includes the most vulnerable people. Among other goals, the plan called for the addition of 1,500 new units of PSH and 6,000 placements to shelter and housing before June 2022.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
65. In accordance with the Proposition K Affordable Housing Goals ballot- initiative measure passed in November 2014, the City shall strive to achieve thirty-three percent of new residential units affordable to low- and moderate-income households in new Area Plans and Special Use Districts with significantly increased development potential or those amended to significantly increase development potential. MOH and Planning shall consider, within the context of a community planning process, zoning categories which require a higher proportion of afford- able housing where increased density or other benefits are granted. Options include Affordable Housing Only Zones (SLI); Affordable Housing Priority Zones (UMU) or Special Use Districts on opportunity sites.
Objective 7: Secure funding and resources for permanently affordable housing, including innovative programs that are not solely reliant on traditional mechanisms of capital.
The City continues to strive to increase the amount of permanently affordable housing created in San Francisco, through updates to the Inclusionary Ordinance and programs such as HOME-SF (an optional bonus program which requires 23-30% on-site affordable housing in new developments), as well as through negotiating increased affordable housing delivery through development agreements.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
68. Planning shall continue implementing the City’s requirement set forth in Planning Code Section 167 that units be sold and rented separately from parking so as to enable the resident the choice of owning a car.
Objective 7: Secure funding and resources for permanently affordable housing, including innovative programs that are not solely reliant on traditional mechanisms of capital.
Planning Code Section 167: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_planning/0-0-0-19298#JD_167
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
84. Planning shall continue to implement tools and processes that streamline CEQA compliance, thereby reducing the time required for production of environmental documents and CEQA processes. In addition to contracting with previously established pools of qualified consultants to produce necessary technical studies (e.g., transportation) and environmental documents (e.g., EIRs), Planning will continue to implement streamlined processes, including but not limited to: Community Plan Exemptions that tier from previously certified Community Plan EIR’s; participate in the preparation of Preliminary Project Assessments that outline the anticipated requirements for CEQA compliance, including necessary technical studies; and implement recent and pending updates to the CEQA Guidelines that provide mechanisms for streamlining the environmental assessment of infill development projects.
Objective 10: Ensure streamlined, yet thorough and transparent decision-making process.
Planning continues to implement streamlined processes. Since 2014, Planning has issued two area plan EIRs: Central SoMa, and Hub. These EIRs allow for streamlined review via Community Plan Evaluations for potentially thousands of new units. Planning must issue these evaluations within 12 months of stable project descriptions per Mayoral Executive Directive 17-02. Planning is using a similar approach for the Housing Element 2022 update: the EIR will allow streamlined review for potentially tens of thousands of new units. Planning also uses exemptions and ministerial approval processes for housing projects, when applicable, such as infill exemptions and affordable housing projects. The Planning Department made staffing adjustments to move all historic preservation staff into Current Planning to help streamline the CEQA process. The preservation planner is now also the project planner, reducing redundancy and potentials for conflicting feedback. https://sfplanning.org/division/environmental-planning
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
2022
88.Planning staff shall continue to use community planning processes to develop policies, zoning, and design standards that are tailored to neighborhood character; and shall include design standards for mixed use, residential and commercial buildings in development of new community plans (if not covered by the City’s comprehensive Design Standards described above).
Objective 11: Recognize the diverse and distinct character of San Francisco's neighborhoods.
Department facilitated the creation of the Special Area Design Guidelines for the Calle 24 Cultural District, the Japantown Cultural District, and the Polk Street neighborhood all adopted by the Planning Commission in 2019.
Ongoing
5th cycle, 2013 to 2022
Displaying 1 - 20 of 221
Let us know if we got something wrong.

Take action and get involved

Right now, we have a once-in-a-decade chance to address current housing problems, invest in our communities, and create better housing options for all. Sign up with your email to stay connected!