Summer Reading

Recent articles below reveal how state legislators, YIMBY lobbyist, and local leaders aim to deregulate land use, prioritizing the interests of political donors and real estate investors. Most San Franciscans are unaware of these impending zoning changes that will adversely and permanently impact their neighborhoods and do little to address housing affordability.

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Above: This could be the future of Lombard, Union, Chestnut and Fillmore Streets unless we choose wisely this November. We need a leader that supports our vibrant, iconic neighborhoods over developer profits.

Developers want a tower taller than Telegraph Hill — next to Telegraph Hill. It’s not a good idea

"Welcome to the troublesome mosaic of state density bonuses, where developers who include affordable units in their proposed projects basically can waive the height limit. The goal is worthy — to clear the way for new housing — but the overlap of rules and regulations could undermine the juxtaposition of city and nature that makes this city memorable."

"The more insidious threat is what’s playing out in locations like Sansome Street, where three proposals on three blocks would transform a unique historic district and mar the public’s view of a hill that defines many people’s mental image of San Francisco’s allure."

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Chronicle, John King, June 3, 2024

SF Planning's upzoning without affordability or protections threatens small businesses

"Local small businesses, including 126 legacy businesses, within the SF Planning Department's proposed upzoning map are at risk of demolition or displacement. Should the City continue rushing these plans through the approval process without accounting for their impact, profit-driven developers will be able to take advantage of the projected inflated land values created by this upzoning and drive out current tenants."

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Race and Equality in All Planning, June 6, 2024

Has the Sleeping Giant Awakened?

"The San Francisco Standard recently published an article (“Angry San Francisco homeowners plot to kill city’s rezoning plan”) about grassroots groups in San Francisco who are speaking out in opposition to state housing mandates that are driving city planning officials to propose sweeping changes to the allowable density and height of new housing throughout the city. The article describes how one resident, who is labeled “an anti-development firebrand,” is arguing that the city’s plan to add 82,000 units of high-density housing (to fulfill the state housing quota) is “unnecessary, punitive and ineffective.”

"Most recently, however, even the term "affordable" has been abandoned. It appears all that matters now to the California Legislature (and their deep-pocket financial supporters) is just “build baby build," regardless of whether it serves the rich or the poor. Meanwhile, what makes all of this so absurd is that the entire "affordability crisis" has nothing to do with housing, in the first place."

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Marin Post, Bob Silvestri, June 8, 2024

Forget NIMBY vs. YIMBY. It’s Speculators vs. Affordability

"Few San Franciscans are okay with handing over their city’s future to real estate speculators. However, the changes these speculators are proposing to local laws and regulations are more likely to be supported if they are presented as “pro-housing” and those who oppose them as “anti-housing.” This is central to their strategy to convince voters to back policies that will enrich them, but do nothing to address San Francisco’s real housing crisis, the dearth of affordable housing.”

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Phoenix Project, Lincoln Mitchell, June 13, 2024

Study finds US does not have housing shortage, but shortage of affordable housing



"Helping people afford the housing stock that is available would be more cost-effective than expanding new home construction in the hope that additional supply would bring prices down, the authors wrote. Several federal programs have proven successful in helping renters and moderate-income buyers afford housing that would otherwise be out of reach.

Our nation's affordability problems result more from low incomes confronting high housing prices rather than from housing shortages," McClure said. "This condition suggests that we cannot build our way to housing affordability. We need to address price levels and income levels to help low-income households afford the housing that already exists, rather than increasing the supply in the hope that prices will subside."

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Phys Org, June 17, 2024

Fearing tall buildings, westside homeowners look to Aaron Peskin

"A paradox is emerging in the mayor’s race: Peskin, who’s considered progressive on most issues, has been outspoken about prioritizing neighborhood preservation instead of building market-rate housing. That seems to be resonating with homeowners on the west side, who are typically some of the city’s most moderate-conservative voters."

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SF Standard - Han Li, June 28, 2024

SF pro-housing advocates, opponents battle for rhetorical high ground

“When you upzone large swaths of The City with a highlighter and just cross your fingers that the benevolence of for-profit developers will yield affordable housing up and down those corridors — it is not going to happen,” she told The Examiner in a recent interview. Brooke has been organizing a series of town-hall meetings to warn residents about what’s coming, outlining her concern that increasing housing density and raising building-height limits will destroy neighborhood character while doing little to address the housing needs of average residents."

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Examiner - Keith Menconi, June 30, 2024

S.F. becomes first California city to miss its housing goals. The impact will be massive

"Neighborhoods United SF Founder Lori Brooke, who has been a vocal opponent of the YIMBY movement, said it has been obvious from the start that San Francisco would not come close to meeting its 82,000 unit goal and that the “inflated mandate was intentional to cause cities to fail and trigger ministerial approvals.” 

"She said SB423, along with the proposed upzoning, would allow market-rate developers to displace small businesses and residents “without the sufficient time to properly inform the public or assess the true impacts of demolition.” With the introduction of SB423, “Scott Wiener is one step closer to his goal of destroying San Francisco,” Brooke said. It unfairly penalizes San Francisco for something beyond its control,” she said. “San Francisco does not build housing, developers do.” 

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Chronicle - JK Dineen, July 1, 2024

YIMBY Want to Raise Your Rent

"The YIMBY claim for abundant and affordable housing is really a play for giving residential developers a license to print even more money as soon as they get their occupancy permit by shifting the infrastructure costs onto existing residents while raising rents for everyone. Promises of housing abundance and lower housing prices are a honey trap, a pleasant sounding ruse that YIMBY know is a lie. There will be no abundance of housing so long as market rate housing production relies on the kindness of the capital markets while interest rates fluctuate. Market rate housing will never sell for less than the cost to construct, which is much higher than 30% of most people’s incomes which is the gold standard for affordability."

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CounterPunch - Marc Salomon, July 1, 2024

SF 'truly in a new era' as it must fast-track housing projects

“It forces The City to haphazardly make changes to zoning and planning that will be felt for the next 100 years,” said Lori Brooke, the co-founder of Neighborhoods United SF, which has been organizing opposition against The City’s ongoing upzoning process, a multi-year effort aimed at increasing density in The City’s western and northern neighborhoods to make room for the extra housing mandated by the state.

For Brooke, the streamlining requirements could mean “game over for local democracy and the public process as to what gets built and where.”

She also suggested that the housing targets were set unreasonably high, intentionally setting up The City to fail and all but guaranteeing that the streamlining would take effect, a charge that Wiener denies."

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Examiner - Keith Menconi, July 2, 2024

The Cow Hollow Association (CHA) is dedicated to safeguarding the residential charm and well-being of our neighborhood. We keep our members up-to-date on various local concerns, including zoning, parking, traffic, Presidio matters, cleanliness initiatives, crime prevention, safety measures, and more.

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