Board unanimously backs plan to put $600 million housing bond on November ballot

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on July 9 to place a $600 million general-obligation bond before voters this November to fund construction, seismic upgrades and preservation of affordable housing across the city.

The measure, advanced on first reading by the board, would increase prior proposals and is intended to finance roughly 2,800 units of affordable housing and preservation work, with set-asides for seniors, educator housing and supportive and extremely low-income units. President Norman Yee, announcing the package at the dais, said the bond grew from an earlier $300 million proposal after discussions with the mayor and community partners.

Why it matters: Supervisors described the bond as a major infusion of capital to address long-running shortages of affordable housing in many neighborhoods. Advocates and board members said the package combines preservation of existing units, new construction, acquisition funds and targeted programs for seniors and educators.

Key elements and debate - Amount and purpose: The bond totals $600,000,000 and is intended to fund new construction, seismic retrofits and preservation of affordable units, plus acquisition funds for small-site preservation and cooperative living for people with chronic mental illness. President Yee said the package includes $150,000,000 targeted for seniors. He also highlighted allocations for educator housing and middle-income workforce units. - Geographic equity: Several supervisors, including Supervisor Gordon Mar and Supervisor Matt Haney, emphasized adding language and criteria intended to prioritize districts that historically have received fewer affordable housing investments. - Partnerships and labor: Supervisors noted that labor partnerships and commitments to prevailing-wage or local-hire goals were preserved in the planning for projects funded by the bond. - Limits and process: The board advanced the measure on first reading; allocations and project-level decisions will be worked out by the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development and through subsequent budget and project approvals. Several supervisors urged continuing work on revenue and recurring funding sources beyond the bond.

Votes and formal actions - Item 10 (resolution to declare public interest and necessity to finance affordable housing via bonded indebtedness up to ~$600,000,000): adopted unanimously (10 ayes, Supervisor Stephanie excused). - Item 11 (ordinance to call a special election for 11/05/2019 to submit the bond to voters): passed on first reading unanimously. - Item 12 (motion urging the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development to update the bond report and allocations): approved unanimously.

Local reaction and next steps Supervisors from multiple districts praised the measure as a step forward while acknowledging it will not solve the full shortage of affordable homes. President Yee and several supervisors said the bond will go to voters in November and stressed continued outreach to sustain support. The mayor's office worked with supervisors and community co-chairs on the bond design.

Provenance: The board described the bond package on the record during consideration of items 10-12 and completed votes on the measures later in the session; the item descriptions and the vote roll calls are recorded in the official transcript.

Sources and attribution: Quotations and reported descriptions come from remarks by President Norman Yee, Supervisor Gordon Mar, Supervisor Matt Haney, Supervisor Aaron Peskin and other supervisors during the July 9, 2019 Board of Supervisors meeting.