Planning Commission Advances Major Constraints‑Reduction Housing Ordinance After Lengthy Public Hearing

The San Francisco Planning Commission voted 4–2 on June 29 to forward a major housing production ordinance — commonly described by staff as a constraints‑reduction package — to the Board of Supervisors with targeted amendments after more than two hours of public comment and lengthy commissioner deliberations.

The ordinance, sponsored by the mayor—s office and co‑sponsored by Supervisor En Gardio, is intended to speed up the city—s housing approvals and help the city meet a state‑mandated goal outlined in the housing element to accommodate 82,000 new housing units over the next eight years. Planning Department manager Aaron Starr and Lisa Gluckstein from the mayor—s office told the commission the package removes numerous conditional‑use review requirements in many districts, standardizes several zoning standards (rear yards, front setbacks, minimum lot size), expands administrative approvals for reasonable accommodations, and adjusts eligibility rules for local HOME SF fee waivers while adding a prevailing‑wage requirement…