Funding Positions BayHAC to Further Pro-Housing Efforts Region-Wide
San Francisco, CA –
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is supporting the Bay Area Housing Advocacy Coalition (BayHAC) – a newly formed regional advocacy arm of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition (SFHAC) that is charged with expanding to the greater Bay Area region the pro-housing dialogue and advocacy that have been successful in San Francisco. SFHAC has been on the front lines of battles to change the NIMBY-minded culture that has created an affordability and displacement crisis as a result of an acute housing shortage. SFHAC and BayHAC are working to solve the region’s affordability and displacement crisis by creating new housing opportunities for residents at all income levels. Our city, region and state need more affordable housing, more moderate-income housing, and more market-rate housing.
“We are proud to support BayHAC’s work as one of the leaders driving impactful solutions to the housing affordability crisis. At CZI, we are working to support efforts throughout the region to produce, preserve, and protect housing and residents. With the Bay Area needing an estimated 35,000 additional housing units per year and facing increasing displacement of residents and communities, BayHAC’s work to increase housing options for more residents will be a critical part of the solution.” – Caitlyn Fox, Director, Justice & Opportunity, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
“We are thrilled with CZI’s support and look forward to a long working relationship that will address our housing shortage in a meaningful way,” stated Todd David, Executive Director of SFHAC and BayHAC. “Creating change in resistant environments requires the willingness to be bold and push the dialogue forward. We are excited to do all we can to create more homes for all Bay Area residents struggling to afford to stay here.”
Established in 1999, SFHAC has built legislative and grassroots support for specific housing projects in San Francisco to create more homes. The organization has been instrumental in changing the political dialogue to support approval of Accessory Dwelling Units, streamlining approval processes for affordable housing, and supporting HomeSF, the affordable housing bonus program which allows additional building stories with the addition of affordable units.
SFHAC has been an essential and effective partner in helping to further our pro-housing legislation in the Legislature,” stated Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). “SFHAC’s strategic work in San Francisco, and willingness to lead on pro-housing initiatives, have changed the housing debate. I look forward to our continued partnership as BayHAC expands its work regionally with the support of CZI.
SFHAC and BayHAC are member-supported non-profits, advocating for building new well-designed, well-located housing at all levels of affordability. The organizations are a strong alliance of businesses, organizational and individual members who work together to support smart housing policy, transit-oriented development and creative solutions to making housing affordable in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. For more information visit housingactioncoalition.org About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Founded by Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is a new kind of philanthropy that’s leveraging technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease, to improving education, to reforming the criminal justice system.
Across three core Initiative focus areas of Science, Education, and Justice & Opportunity, they are pairing engineering with grant-making, impact investing, and policy and advocacy work to help build an inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone. CZI has a housing affordability program working to improve access to safe, stable, and affordable housing in the Bay Area and beyond. They are a cofounder of the Partnership for the Bay’s Future, a collaborative effort aimed at advancing our region’s future by solving its interconnected challenges—housing, transportation, and economic opportunity.
For more information, please visit www.chanzuckerberg.com.
