The Examiner looks at the loss of middle-class housing in San Francisco, and how, based on a new report by a local urban think tank, allowing more flexibility in zoning would allow affordable, but market-rate housing to meet the demand.
"What if it were possible to easily adapt the permit codes so that private developers actually wanted to build middle-income housing without any need for taxpayer subsidies? According to a new task force study by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR) Association, this could be accomplished by simply easing city regulations to enable lower-cost construction of new housing in neighborhoods where land prices permit.
The City's own urban development think-tank found that the midrange housing market could be effectively served by offering an option of smaller but more efficient units with fewer amenities. Such units are now extremely difficult to bring to market because of unnecessary restrictions involving building density, common spaces, parking capacity and height limits on wood-frame construction.
SPUR makes six main code-change recommendations for lowering city housing construction costs.
All of these changes are comparatively minor and could easily be tested as pilot programs of limited duration. Yet in total they might significantly enhance housing opportunities for a vitally productive but too-often overlooked segment of the San Francisco community.
From SPUR report:
"Housing that is affordable "by design" could become a more important part of San Francisco's middle-income housing strategy. This is a housing type that benefits the lower middle class rather than the truly poor, but it is precisely in this middle income stratum of the market that San Francisco has been least successful in serving.
Currently, the Planning and Building Codes make it extremely difficult to build housing that is affordable by design. This is primarily due to density controls, overly prescriptive courtyard and unit exposure rules, and minimum parking requirements in the Planning Code, as well as Building Code limits on the number of stories allowed for wood-frame construction...
Affordable "by design" housing has been an important part of San Francisco's housing stock for decades. By making a few key changes to San Francisco's planning and building codes, we have the opportunity to encourage the creation of new middle-income units - without additional public subsidy."
FULL STORY: Editorial: Middle-income housing prohibited
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service