Last week, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development’s (MOH’s) Deputy Director Kate Hartley and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs Sophie Hayward came to SFHAC’s final Membership meeting of the year to give us the scoop on their office’s work. First, thanks to the voters of San Francisco, there’s a $310mil influx in funding for low- and middle-income housing. MOH has a very aggressive spending timeline for it over the next five years.
Public Housing – $80mil
Goal: To accelerate the development timeframes of both Sunnydale and Potrero HOPE SF projects. These two public housing projects currently have 15- to 20-year timelines. Both of these communities are severely dilapidated and the residents should not be expected to live in these unconscionable conditions. The housing bond’s infusion of funding will accelerate building two mixed-income communities with about 1,700 new units at each site, each with all new infrastructure. Sunnydale has 785 existing homes, Potrero has 606. MOH’s priorities are the relocation of the existing residents without displacement; an infrastructure plan for two very large sites that require new infrastructure; and a vertical development that will almost double the amount of housing at each of these sites.
Low-Income Housing Program – $100mil
Goal: Use the funding to deliver the maximum amount of new 100% affordable homes. MOH’s focus will be on shovel-ready 100% affordable construction with the greatest efficiency, serving neighborhoods that are already under served for affordable housing. MOH is preparing to issue a NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) in early 2016 with the expectation that they will fund the pre-development loans in April 2016. It’s moving fast! A portion of this $100mil will be reserved for their Small Sites Program, which they piloted in 2014 with only $3mil. This program will fund up to $20mil in loans acquire sites and stem the tide of Ellis Act evictions with the ultimate goal of keeping vulnerable residents in their homes.
Middle-Income Housing – $80mil (the actual amounts and allocation are TBD)
Goal: To provide middle-income earners housing options and opportunities to keep them in San Francisco. Our middle-income residents are being crushed with rising rents and home prices and are rapidly losing housing options. MOH will reinvest in the Down-Payment Assistance Loan Program (DALP), that will now reach up to 170% AMI. The Teacher Next Door Program, a $20k forgivable loan for downpayment assistance, will receive a $1mil annual investment for 5 years.
Mission District Allocation – $50mil
Goal: To work with the community and stakeholders to determine the specific uses for this funding. Three potential uses: new 100% affordable construction; land acquisition for affordable housing; and large SRO acquisition rehab. The good news is the three affordable housing projects already that already have project teams are fully funded and will not dip into the Mission’s allocation.
MOH has an obligation to report annually on the monies spent from the bond, so we will keep our members informed on this.
Part of MOH’s presentation also included the following slides that illustrate the City’s need for affordable housing and how MOH collects and uses the in-lieu and other developer fees and turns them into new housing.
