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Committee recommends removing Eastern Neighborhoods rental incentive from Planning Code
Summary
The committee recommended approval of an amendment to eliminate a rental-incentive provision in the Eastern Neighborhoods planning code; sponsor Supervisor Kim and Planning Department staff said rental production has surged and the incentive is no longer necessary.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Tuesday recommended removing a rental-incentive provision from the Planning Code that allowed project sponsors in Eastern Neighborhoods urban mixed-use districts to reduce inclusionary affordable-housing obligations and public-benefit fees in exchange for keeping units as rentals for 30 years.
Sponsor Supervisor Kim said the eastern neighborhoods housing market has changed since the incentive was adopted in 2009. Kim told the committee that rental projects now make up roughly 84 percent of new units in the Eastern Neighborhoods and that developers have told staff the incentive is not the primary reason they build rental housing. "Given the dramatic increase in the delivery of rental units...it felt appropriate to remove this incentive to ensure that developers are building what we would expect them to in terms of our affordable housing stock," she said.
Aaron Starr, manager of legislative affairs for the Planning Department, told the committee the Planning Commission on Aug. 6, 2015, unanimously recommended approval, finding the program unnecessary given the current market share of rentals. No members of the public spoke on the item.
Supervisor Kim moved to forward the ordinance with a recommendation; the motion passed without objection. The item will be transmitted to the full Board of Supervisors for further consideration.
