The Association has submitted the following argument in support of Proposition J for publication in the voter handbook for the March 2004 election in San Francisco:
Prop J Will Provide Affordable Ownership Housing
San Francisco has a severe shortage of housing, affecting people at all income levels. The Association of Bay Area Governments estimates that 20,372 new housing units will need to be built in San Francisco by 2006, and that at least 5,639 of these units should be available to moderate-income households.
One way to meet the demand for housing is to encourage the construction of housing with increased densities in areas of the city best able to accommodate such housing because of easy access to neighborhood services, public transit and shopping. Two areas of the city are particularly well suited to the construction of this type of housing—the downtown and the Central Waterfront.
Under Proposition J, the city would grant developers who propose projects with 10 or more units for either of these two areas exceptions to the density and height restrictions and an expedited permit review if the developer agrees to (1) construct the project in accordance with environmental best practices, and (2) market and sell 27 or 29 percent of the project’s units at a rate that is affordable to households with a combined annual gross income that does not exceed 110 percent of the median income in San Francisco.
Proposition J holds the promise of providing desperately needed affordable ownership housing to thousands of people who work in San Francisco but are forced to live elsewhere because of the high cost of housing here. They should have a chance to live in the city they serve.
Vote YES on Proposition J.
January 2004
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