Supervisors introduce competing housing measures; Bayview residents debate 50% affordable proposal

Two competing approaches to increase affordable housing drew sustained attention at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.

Supervisor Daly asked the Treasure Island Development Authority and the Treasure Island Community Development LLC to include 50% affordable housing in the disposition and development agreement for Treasure Island, describing the request as a way "to raise the bar" on affordable production. Daly said the board had previously codified targets in the Eastern Neighborhoods planning process and suggested revisiting the Treasure Island term sheet in light of that policy.

Separately, Supervisor Bevan Dufty and colleagues submitted a ballot initiative aimed at encouraging market-rate developers to build on-site, family-sized affordable homeownership units by granting density bonuses for projects that include two- or three-bedroom units. Dufty said the initiative would provide incentives allowing builders to increase density in exchange for producing on-site family units rather than primarily studios and one-bedrooms.

Those introductions sparked extensive public comment focused on Bayview Hunters Point, where competing ballot measures and a mayor-backed jobs/housing/parks measure are also in play. Multiple residents and community leaders spoke during public comment. Voices from Bayview Hunters Point were sharply divided: several speakers urged the board to allow neighborhood residents and their elected supervisor to control development decisions and objected to outside supervisors imposing requirements; others urged the board to give voters a chance to hold developers accountable and to prioritize protections against displacement and stronger affordability guarantees.

Jim Queen, a District 10 resident and father, told the board he supported Supervisor Daly—s proposal because it explicitly defines affordability and would give voters a chance to weigh in. "If you're serious about the black flight, if you're serious about having people stay in San Francisco... support Supervisor Daly's initiative and provide 4 votes so that we can at least put it on a ballot and give the people in the city an opportunity to vote on it," he said.

By contrast, several Bayview residents told the board they were satisfied with the local supervisor and the developer partnerships underway and opposed outside interference. One speaker said Bayview "already has more affordable housing than any other community" and asked that supervisors from other districts "leave Bayview Hunters Point alone." Other speakers representing community organizations such as People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) and ACORN urged clearer, enforceable language in any plan to secure accountability and avoid repeat problems they associated with prior development efforts.

Supervisor Dufty said the density-bonus initiative was intended to create incentives for family-sized units and estimated the approach could add between 225 and 500 affordable family units annually at modest public cost, noting stakeholders including the Residential Builders Association and tenant advocates had been involved. Dufty said the initiative would appear on the June ballot if procedural steps are completed.

No formal votes were taken on the Treasure Island disposition request or on the introduced ballot initiatives at Tuesday's meeting; both were introduced for further consideration and potential ballot placement. The board received a high volume of public testimony on the topic and several supervisors said they would pursue hearings and further committee review.

Action notes: Supervisor Daly introduced a request for the Treasure Island DDA to include 50% affordable housing. Supervisor Dufty, with several co-sponsors, submitted a ballot initiative providing density bonuses for on-site family-sized affordable units. Both items were introduced; next steps include committee referrals and further hearings.