Supervisor Chan advances Affordable Housing Production Act with amendments; sends measure to committee of the whole

Supervisor Chan introduced the Affordable Housing Production Act on July 12, 2022, a charter amendment draft intended to accelerate production of affordable housing for very low, low- and middle-income households.

Chan said the measure would speed construction and require stronger local labor standards, prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements, and raise transparency and inclusionary housing requirements. ‘‘I introduced the Affordable Housing Production Act, to accelerate the process, to build real affordable housing that San Francisco working families can afford,’’ Chan said.

Two amendments were offered on the floor: (1) change the definition of multifamily housing from buildings of 2 or more units to 10 or more units and (2) replace an increased inclusionary percentage of 15% with 8% (which Chan’s office said remains in addition to existing inclusionary requirements). Supervisor Ronan seconded the amendment. The motion to amend passed unanimously (11-0). The board then voted to continue the amended charter amendment to the July 19 meeting in the setting as a Committee of the Whole; that motion carried unanimously (11-0).

Why it matters: The proposal would change the city’s procedural and inclusionary standards for qualifying housing projects, accelerate review pathways and add labor and affordability requirements. The amendments reduce the on-site inclusionary increase but expand the scope by changing the multifamily threshold and keep the measure on the board’s fast track for additional committee work.

Debate and next steps: Supporters framed the changes as practical compromises to secure broader support from developers and labor; the chair indicated a committee of the whole would take up the measure on July 19 and continue deliberations. Opponents or more detailed concerns were not recorded during the roll-call on the amendment vote.