May 12, 2016 Corey Smith

Dwellings, Not Displacement in the Mission

Last fall, voters soundly rejected the Mission Moratorium, a plan to stop thousands of homes proposed for that neighborhood. The vote showed that San Franciscans believe building more housing for people of all income levels is key to addressing the affordability crisis and preventing displacement in the Mission. Now that the Moratorium has been rejected, it’s time to get that housing approved.

Over the next two months, close to 1,000 proposed new homes, hundreds of which are affordable to low- and middle- income residents, will be decided at the Planning Commission. They’re located close to BART and MUNI stops, enabling more residents to live in a transit-rich, walkable neighborhood. Unfortunately, some well-organized residents oppose any new housing that is not 100-percent affordable. They maintain even one new unit of market-rate housing makes the affordability crisis worse, despite data that clearly argue otherwise.

Current residents should be able to stay in their homes while providing more opportunities for people who want to live in the neighborhood. As shown in the recent report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office called Perspectives on Helping Low Income Californians Afford Housing, building new housing, both market-rate and subsidized, decreases the chances of displacement for the most vulnerable residents. The San Francisco Housing Action Coalition endorses building these new homes because of the benefits they would provide for the neighborhood and rest of the City. We’re asking you to support them too!

Take action and send an email to the SF Planning Commissioners and Planning Director through our online petition below.

You can send a custom message or use the template provided. It’s important they hear from local residents who understand that building more housing reduces displacement in the Mission and creates better options for new residents. Join our campaign and make your voice heard today!

Corey Smith

Corey Smith is HAC's Executive Director and can be reached at corey@housingactioncoalition.org.

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