Committee backs Mission Rock housing-plan amendment to deepen affordability in Phase 1

The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 28 recommended approval of a resolution to amend the Mission Rock housing plan that would lower the minimum phase-level affordable percentage and reconfigure unit income bands on Parcel A (the Canyon) to increase deeper-affordability units.

The change would reduce the minimum required percentage of below-market-rate units for any single phase from 30% to 20% while keeping the overall Mission Rock project affordability target at 40%. Wyatt Donnelly Landolt, a project manager at the Port of San Francisco working on Mission Rock, told the committee the amendment would leave the project-level affordability target unchanged and is intended to address leasing challenges at higher AMI tiers.

"This is about [a] housing plan amendment, which affects phase 1," Landolt said, adding that the requested phase change would lower the phase minimum from 30 to 20 and that the actual phase 1 percentage ends up at about "24.8" percent. He said market conditions left 150% AMI units in particular with weak demand and that the change is "revenue neutral."

Landolt described the parcel-level adjustments the Port Commission approved for Parcel F — increasing the number of 90% AMI units, eliminating 150% AMI units and reducing 120% AMI units — and said the 90% AMI units there have leased quickly (about 77% leased at Parcel F as presented). He said 150% AMI units have continued to face leasing challenges (about 39% leased as presented).

The amendment before the committee would, for Parcel A (the Canyon), increase the number of 90% AMI units from 10 to 19, maintain the number of 120% AMI units as presented (54 units as reported in the presentation), and eliminate the 150% AMI units on that parcel; Port staff said no current tenants would be displaced and rents for affected units would be lower. The Port's presentation maintained that the overall financing and revenue picture for the project would not change.

Committee members emphasized stakeholder collaboration. Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen thanked the Port and developer for working with community organizations and cited the need to prioritize deeper affordability so families and workforce households can remain in the city. Chair Mirna Melgar paraphrased that the developer's obligations remain the same while the mix of affordable units would shift to a lower AMI level.

Public comment on the item was brief; one speaker in support said the item was approved.

On a motion by Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen to move file number 250264 as a committee report to the full Board, the committee voted Chen — aye; Supervisor Bilal Mahmood — aye; Chair Mirna Melgar — aye. The motion passed 3-0. Committee staff noted items acted on at this meeting are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of May 6, 2025, unless otherwise stated.

The Port and the Mission Rock partners will continue community engagement as they finalize parcel-level documents and the disposition-and-development agreement (DDA) amendments required to reflect the new unit mix. Port staff said they remain available to answer follow-up questions from committee members.

Votes at a glance: Motion to recommend approval of the Mission Rock housing-plan amendment (file no. 250264) as a committee report — passed 3-0 (Chen, Mahmood, Melgar).