What is the Housing Element?

The Housing Element 2022 Update is San Francisco’s housing plan for the next 8 years (2022-2030) and the first one that will center on racial and social equity. It will include policies and programs that express San Francisco's residents collective vision and values for the future of housing. This update will determine what our housing needs are and how it'd work to address them, defining priorities for decision making and resource allocation for housing programs, development, and services.

To make sure housing policies and programs are inclusive and represent the values and ideas of city’s diverse population, Planning Department staff or the City wants to hear from as many San Francisco residents and community members as possible.

How will my input be used?

Your input will inform goal, policies, and actions that will guide the City’s housing investments on tenant protections, affordable housing preservation and production, addressing homelessness, as well as what kinds of housing and where the City should facilitate more housing. This plan will serve the housing needs of all San Franciscans, advancing equitable outcomes particularly for American Indian, Black and other Communities of Color, as well as low-income populations and vulnerable groups. This means creating a Housing Element that supports:

• Racial and social equity
• Eliminating community displacement
• Affordable housing choices for everyone in all neighborhoods
• Thriving neighborhoods resilient to climate and health crises

These guiding values were refined through input from residents, community members and stakeholders during Phase 1 of outreach and engagement.

The last update was adopted in 2014. Since then, SF Planning has focused its efforts in addressing housing affordability, displacement, and gentrification through several projects and initiatives. What we had heard from San Francisco communities during these initiatives informed the values and key policy ideas that were first shared when we launched the first phase of an extensive outreach and engagement process for Housing Element 2022 Update in May 2020.

You can learn more about the Housing Element 2022 Update by watching this three-part informational video series:

• Part I: Context | Dismantling San Francisco's Housing Inequities (中文) (Español)
• Part II: Community Outreach and Engagement (中文) (Español)
• Part III: Key Policy Shifts for Consideration (中文) (Español)

Below is a full overview of the planning process, timeline, outreach and engagement strategy, and an update on the process as of March 2021.

DRAFT Sites Inventory Report and Rezoning Program

The report identifies specific parcels available for residential development, the methodology used to determine them, and a Rezoning Program to accommodate the shortfall and meet RHNA and AFFH requirements. To see the DRAFT list of parcels, please click here.

This rezoning strategy is designed to support the shortfall described above and align with Housing Element Update’s proposed goals and objectives with the following key considerations:

• Creating more housing choice in Well-resourced neighborhoods to increase housing availability, choice, and access to opportunities for more households, particularly American Indian, Black, and other people of color, to live near good public services, transit, open space, schools, and local businesses.

• Increase housing that is affordable for low- and moderate-income households

• Increase housing types to accommodate households with a variety of needs, including seniors, those with disabilities, families, and those with fixed or workforce incomes.

Rezoning is specifically addressed in the following Housing Element Update 2022 policy and actions:

What Policy 20 proposes?

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

a) Increase the opportunity for mid-rise multi-family buildings through changes to height limits, removal of density controls, and other zoning changes along SFMTA’s Muni Forward Rapid Network 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.

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.

c) Allow a minimum of four units on all residential lots, expanding 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.

d) 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 inactions (a) through (c) above to accommodate approximately 20,000 units.

e) Engage with communities living in Well-resourced Neighborhoods to nurture enhanced openness for all through educational material and community conversations that highlight how locating new housing and permanently affordable housing in every neighborhood can address historic inequity and injustice and build more vibrant neighborhoods that improve everyone’s quality of life.

Areas Considered for Additional Height and/or Density

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Here you could download the full document of the Housing Element 2022