Planning staff unveils draft ‘Expanding Housing Choice’ rezoning map; commission hears hundreds of public comments

The San Francisco Planning Department on Thursday presented a revised draft of the “Expanding Housing Choice” rezoning package, a major update to city zoning intended to create capacity to meet the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and further the housing element’s fair‑housing goals.

Lisa Chen, principal planner and project manager, told the Planning Commission the April 2025 draft focuses on a revised zoning map and an optional “local program” that developers could use instead of the state density bonus. "Adding new homes here, and especially homes for low and middle income residents, will be transformational for the families and households who will benefit from living in these neighborhoods," Chen said, summarizing the staff rationale.

The plan would: concentrate most new homes in higher‑opportunity neighborhoods; allow mid‑rise and taller buildings along primary commercial and transit corridors; and introduce form‑based density (sometimes called density decontrol) on many residential blocks adjacent to main streets so buildings could include more units within existing height limits. Where state incentives apply, the map shows differing base heights and maximum heights depending on whether a project uses the State Density Bonus or the proposed local program.

The local program would be an optional alternative to state bonuses, offering a menu of waivers and objective code flexibilities that staff say reflect what projects commonly request. Projects could choose a package of local waivers — for example, to adjust unit‑mix rules or certain ground‑floor ceiling heights — and obtain predictable maximum heights through local rules rather than layering state bonuses on top of base zoning.

Staff framed the proposal as a multi‑pronged implementation of the housing element: the city needs to show realistic capacity for roughly 36,000 additional homes (after pipeline and capacity accounting) and to affirmatively further fair housing by expanding opportunities in areas with higher incomes, better schools and lower pollution. Chen told commissioners the city faces a Jan. 2026 state deadline to submit an adopted rezoning package that HCD will certify.

The hearing drew more than three hours of public comment with hundreds of speakers. Supporters — including housing advocates, younger residents, and business groups — urged the commission to adopt the map and to expand housing in high‑opportunity and transit‑served neighborhoods. Speakers in support told personal stories of how lack of housing had driven friends and family out of the city and emphasized the need to add housing to support transit, local businesses and city revenue.

Opponents — including neighborhood associations, historic‑preservation groups and several community coalitions — said the rezoning is too aggressive, risks displacement and demolition of existing rent‑controlled housing, and could advantage large developers over small landlords and nonprofits. Many asked for more locally tailored changes, additional tenant protections, explicit safeguards for small businesses, and clearer plans for funding infrastructure and deep affordability.

Commissioners and staff acknowledged the volume of input and flagged multiple follow‑up items: continued mapping refinements, additional public engagement on specific neighborhoods, a planned affordable‑housing site analysis, a tenant protections package, and a small‑business strategy hearing scheduled for April 17. Planning staff also said they would produce additional visualizations and analyses to show view impacts, site‑level feasibility and how the proposal responds to the state density‑bonus program.

Staff emphasized that rezoning alone does not fund affordable housing; it identifies sites and zoning capacity. Chen said financing and public subsidies will still be necessary to deliver deeply affordable units, and urged continued coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and other agencies. The commission did not vote on the rezoning map at the informational hearing; staff will return with ordinance drafts and supporting analysis for future public hearings and formal adoption steps.