Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning staff outlines Central SoMa Housing Sustainability District under AB 73; residents press for more outreach and anti‑displacement measures
Summary
Staff presented the proposed Central SoMa Housing Sustainability District (AB 73) and explained state minimums (affordability, labor standards, ministerial approvals); residents and community groups said they were newly informed and urged a pause for outreach and stronger displacement protections. Commissioners asked for more briefing time ahead of the adoption hearing.
Planning Department staff gave an informational presentation on May 3 on a proposed Central SoMa Housing Sustainability District (HSD) enabled by Assembly Bill 73.
Joshua Switzky and Paolo Ikezoy outlined AB 73’s state requirements — ministerial approval within an HSD for qualifying housing projects, a 10% on‑site affordability minimum (state floor), prevailing wage or skilled‑and‑trained labor thresholds tied to project size, and a statutory maximum 10‑year district term with potential extension. Ikezoy described how a local ordinance would tailor state rules for Central SoMa, including a proposed local height eligibility cap (projects over 160 feet would be ineligible for ministerial approval), protections for historic resources, EIR‑level mitigation measures, and monitoring and enforcement via conditions of approval and OLSE for labor standards.
Public commenters raised concerns about outreach and displacement. David Wu of the South Market Community Action Network said he had not seen prior notice for the informational hearing and urged the commission not to adopt the Central SoMa plan next week while HSD provisions remained new to many residents; he called for more time and stronger measures to prevent eviction and commercial displacement, including acquisition strategies, right of first refusal, and a higher affordable housing target than the state’s minimum.
Supporters at the hearing, including Todd David of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition and representatives of building trades and construction industry groups, praised AB 73 as a tool to accelerate housing production while providing labor standards and community benefits. Commissioners asked staff to provide additional briefings for absent commissioners and to clarify how the ministerial timeline, height caps, and zoning incentive payments would operate locally. Staff said the 160‑foot cap was a sponsor proposal and that the city would still be required to have Brown Act‑compliant public hearings for HSD projects.
Why it matters: The HSD would change the approval pathway for many housing projects in Central SoMa, allowing faster, ministerial approvals for qualifying projects while imposing state labor and affordability floors. Critics warned faster approvals without stronger anti‑displacement measures could increase gentrification pressures.
What’s next: Staff said adoption of the local ordinance would be before the commission at a subsequent hearing and then proceed to the Board of Supervisors; final local enactment would require certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
