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Planning Commission backs ordinance to define student housing, bars conversion of housing to institutional dorms
Summary
After hours of testimony from universities, housing advocates and developers, the Planning Commission voted 5–1 to adopt staff’s proposed planning‑code amendments defining “student housing,” prohibiting conversion of existing housing to institutional student housing, and clarifying how entitled but unbuilt projects are treated. The vote followed debate over whether conversions should instead require conditional‑use review.
The San Francisco Planning Commission approved on Nov. 10 a package of planning‑code changes that create a citywide definition of "student housing," add controls for that new category and prohibit conversion of existing housing stock to institutional student housing.
Sophie Hayward of planning staff introduced the ordinance, saying the proposal is intended to "protect the city's existing housing stock while encouraging the production of new student housing," and that staff had drafted clarifying language to address pipeline projects and entitled but unbuilt units. The proposal would tie the definition of student housing…
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