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Crosscurrents

San Francisco leaders vote to oppose radical state housing bill

Joe Fitz of SF Examiner
SB 827 supporters and counter-protesters outside City Hall

Yesterday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to formally oppose a state bill which is being called the most controversial housing bill in decades. The Transit-Rich Housing Bonus, if passed, would force cities and counties to allow for dense and tall housing near public transit—no matter what local laws say. Here’s why San Francisco leaders are putting up such a fight against it. 

SUPERVISOR JANE KIM: "When you give any landowner 10 more units you’re basically giving that owner more money. This is a giveaway. It's a giveaway to landowners and developers without getting anything in return for our city and community."

SB-827 wants to kill two birds with one stone: it wants to make housing more affordable by making it easier to build and ease the shortage. Secondly, it wants to lower greenhouse gas emissions by building that new housing near public transit in order to wean people off driving.

DANIEL MURPHY: "Displacement is guaranteed if we don't build housing... This bill will lower rents for people in the city. The people supporting this bill tend to be younger, working-class renters."