Mayor Lee urges new charter amendment, vows plan to address homelessness

Mayor Edwin Lee addressed the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 1, 2015, praising voters for approving what he called the largest affordable housing bond in the city's history and saying he will propose a charter amendment next year to require developers to build more affordable housing in new developments.

"I have already announced, that we'll bring to the voters sometime next year a charter amendment that will require, housing developers to build more affordable housing in their new developments," Lee said during his remarks to the Board.

The mayor framed his remarks around the city's housing and homelessness challenges, stressing both public investments and private-sector roles. He described the bond as part of an "over $1.3 billion investment" and reiterated his administration's goal to deliver "at least 30,000 new homes by 2020 with over half of that available to middle and low income families."

The mayor also said his office will reconvene a housing working group that helped craft earlier policies leading to the 2012 housing trust fund and the more recent bond. He asked that group include developers, nonprofit housing providers and other stakeholders to produce a plan that raises affordable-housing requirements for large projects and looks for process improvements to speed construction.

"We will simultaneously need to consider how to speed up construction," Lee said, urging the working group to consider both policy changes and permitting improvements so needed housing projects can move faster.

Lee said he would present an ambitious city plan addressing homelessness later in the week and emphasized partnership with nonprofits, housing providers and the private sector. He also highlighted a $20 million grant to the University of California, San Francisco, for HIV/AIDS research and marked World AIDS Day in his remarks.

Why it matters: Lee's announcement — a proposed charter amendment to raise inclusionary requirements and a renewed pledge to increase production — signals an administration push to change the rules governing how much affordable housing new large developments must include. If put on the ballot and approved, a charter amendment would alter legal obligations for private developers and shape negotiations over community benefits and project-level affordability.

What the Board hearing showed: Lee thanked Supervisor Julie Christensen for her service and again called housing and homelessness top priorities. He did not present a formal ordinance at the Dec. 1 meeting; instead he outlined the policy direction and asked the housing working group to draft specific proposals for board consideration and for placement before voters.

Context and next steps: A charter amendment requires placement on a future ballot and approval by voters. The mayor said the working group will also look for ways to shorten construction timelines and create more certainty for investors and builders. The Board of Supervisors and the mayor's office will need to draft the amendment's legal language, decide timing, and hold hearings before placing a measure before voters.

Ending note: Lee pledged continued collaboration with the board and community groups on both the proposed charter amendment and a homelessness strategy to be unveiled in the coming days.