Supervisor Preston seeks alternatives to mixed‑income redevelopment at Plaza East, urges HUD 'Faircloth to RAD' evaluation

Supervisor Dean Preston introduced a resolution on June 14 asking the San Francisco Housing Authority and the developer McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS) to evaluate alternatives to the developer’s proposed mixed‑income redevelopment at Plaza East, a public housing site in the Fillmore.

Preston said residents and his office had long requested clarity about whether redevelopment plans would include market‑rate units on the public site. He told the Board that MBS eventually confirmed plans that could include nearly 300 market‑rate units and that residents and advocates were not provided details about the proposed income mix. "My office and many residents at Plaza East feel strongly that any redevelopment proposal that increases the number of units at Plaza East should, include to the greatest extent possible, all affordable units," Preston said.

The resolution asks the housing authority to explore redevelopment strategies that would preserve or replace 100% of the on‑site affordable units. In particular Preston urged the authority and developer to examine the Faircloth‑to‑RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) pathway announced by HUD that can enable public housing agencies to convert properties to long‑term Section‑8 subsidy contracts. The resolution would also require the housing authority to report back to the Board with feasibility analyses and funding scenarios.

Preston framed the issue in racial‑equity and displacement terms, noting a prior MBS redevelopment at the same Fillmore site had reduced the number of units by 83 and contributed to the displacement of Black families. "We absolutely cannot make the same mistake again… We owe it to the residents to not only involve them in decision making, but to come up with the various alternatives," he said. The supervisor said his office had held hearings and requested information from MBS and the housing authority for more than a year without a sufficient response.

What the resolution requests: the housing authority to evaluate and report on the cost, timing and funding options for a redevelopment scenario that achieves on‑site replacement of all public housing units (including a plan that uses Faircloth to RAD), and to brief the Board in committee. Preston also asked for the developer and housing authority to present their proposed income mix and to consult with residents and advocacy organizations.

Why it matters: Plaza East is a public housing property in a neighborhood with rising housing costs and a documented history of displacement. Preston’s resolution would formalize an analysis of funding paths that could underwrite 100% on‑site affordable replacement should the housing authority and developer choose to pursue that option.

Next steps: Preston introduced the resolution and said it would proceed to committee for further review. The Board did not take a final action at the June 14 meeting; the resolution sets a path for hearings and a required report back from the housing authority and developer.