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Rules Committee amends and tables contentious housing streamlining charter measure after broad public opposition
Summary
Supervisor Safaee’s charter proposal to streamline review for certain 'affordable' projects prompted hundreds of public comments; critics said the definition (originally up to 140% AMI) would fast‑track market-rate development and silence communities, while supporters argued streamlining is needed to produce more housing. The committee adopted labor and AMI-related amendments and tabled the item as amended.
Supervisor Ahsha Safaee presented a charter amendment intended to speed approval of eligible housing projects that meet specified affordability and labor standards. The initial draft included a category of projects qualifying as “affordable” up to 140% of area median income (AMI); during the hearing the sponsor and colleagues negotiated and proposed lowering that top threshold to 120% AMI and adding prevailing‑wage and skilled‑workforce certification requirements.
The proposal prompted extensive public comment. Housing-justice and tenant groups, labor and neighborhood coalitions argued the measure would redefine “affordable” upward, allow developers to circumvent community review, and primarily benefit market-rate developers. Tracy Chris Berg of Media Alliance and multiple neighborhood and equity coalitions said a 120–140% AMI threshold is far above incomes of teachers, nurses and nonprofit workers who serve the city. The Race and Equity in All Planning (REP) coalition, tenant organizations and labor advocates urged the committee to reject the measure as drafted.
Proponents — including YIMBY and some housing‑advocacy groups — argued streamlining can reduce time and cost to build housing, including projects with sizable affordable set‑asides, and applauded proposed labor protections. SPUR said the measure "would make it simple, straightforward, and fast to build thousands of affordable homes in San Francisco." After extended debate and sponsor amendments that added prevailing‑wage enforcement steps and changes to AMI definitions, the committee adopted the amendments and voted to table the matter as amended for further work, with Vice Chair Mandelmann recorded as dissenting on the tabling vote.
