In a recent meeting, San Francisco city officials addressed the pressing issue of housing approval delays, acknowledging the need for more efficient processes to meet the city's housing demands. The discussion highlighted the city's significant contributions to regional housing production, despite being the smallest county in the Bay Area. San Francisco has produced nearly a quarter of the Bay Area's total housing and about a third of new lower-income homes, but officials recognized that more must be done to meet state housing goals.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has issued a policy and practice review (PPR) aimed at identifying and removing barriers to housing development in San Francisco. This review, the first of its kind from HCD, outlines 28 actions, 18 of which are mandatory, with timelines ranging from 30 days to four years for implementation. The city is under pressure to comply, as failure to meet deadlines could result in decertification of its housing element.

Key actions from the PPR include the removal of certain pre-application requirements and public art mandates for affordable housing projects, as well as a commitment to streamline the approval process for code-compliant projects. The city is also tasked with creating a local ministerial approval process for housing within three years.

In addition to the PPR, the meeting covered five pieces of new state housing legislation that will impact San Francisco's planning and housing development processes. These include AB 2011, which facilitates ministerial approval for affordable housing projects, and SB 423, which extends the provisions of SB 35, allowing for expedited review of housing developments that meet specific affordability criteria.

The officials emphasized the importance of compliance with objective standards in housing production, which are designed to eliminate subjective judgments in the approval process. This aligns with the broader goal of increasing housing availability and affordability in the city.

As the city moves forward, officials expressed optimism about their relationship with HCD and their commitment to improving housing approval timelines. They plan to update HCD on their progress and are hopeful for a positive response regarding their compliance efforts. The meeting underscored the urgency of addressing housing shortages in San Francisco and the collaborative efforts needed to enhance the city's housing landscape.