Three Reasons to Be Optimistic About Housing in San Francisco
Photo: Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard
HAC is a statewide organization with a mission to solve California's housing crisis. With California facing a shortage of 4 million homes, we know that meeting demand requires practically every city across the state to build more housing. It's not just a Los Angeles, Oakland, or San José problem—it's a statewide problem that requires statewide solutions. When it comes to our housing advocacy, we don't play favorites; no one city garners more attention than any other.
However, as HAC was founded in San Francisco, our lone office is currently located there (although we're opening a Southern California office soon), I live in San Francisco, and I started working at HAC as the San Francisco Organizer; the city is often at the top of my mind.
San Francisco is also, for fair and unfair reasons, often held up as the poster child of California's housing woes. If you follow housing news, you know much of the media coverage focuses on the city's struggles with its housing crisis rather than its triumphs.
For this month's "A Word With Corey," I wanted to spread some positivity and shed light on reasons to actually be optimistic about the future of housing in San Francisco.
1. The Popularity of the Quincy Project in SoMa is a Good Sign
In the past 18 months, the Quincy project at 555 Bryant Street in SoMa has been one of the few projects completed and opened. While there are tens of thousands of approved units ready to either break ground or complete construction, projects have stalled as economic uncertainty has deterred risk-averse investors and homebuilders.
However, the popularity of the Quincy could be a sign that development in San Francisco is getting back on track. In just two months, The Quincy—a 501-unit apartment building led by Strada Investment Group—has already leased 50% of its units. According to Strada, the building is filling up faster than any apartment complex since 2013.
Set in the heart of San Francisco, just a few blocks from a Caltrain station and Oracle Park, the rapid influx of residents indicates there is significant demand for new projects like The Quincy.
2. GrowSF Polling Shows Strong Support for Pro-Housing Policies
Our friends at GrowSF recently released polling data showing that 74% of San Franciscans support Mayor Daniel Lurie's Family Zoning Plan. The plan is one of the most ambitious initiatives to help San Francisco meet its goal of building 82,000 new homes by 2031. It would rezone large swaths of the city—the Westside, in particular—making it easier to build dense, multifamily housing.
Here are some key findings from their polling on housing in San Francisco:
Family Zoning commands 74% support
High-rises near transit earn 68% approval citywide, peaking at 81% among 18–39-year-olds
Five to eight stories along major streets attracts 67% support
Guaranteed permit approvals for code-compliant projects is backed by 62% of respondents
YIMBY/abundance/pro-housing ideas are becoming increasingly popular in San Francisco. Most San Franciscans support efforts to build more dense, transit-oriented housing. This is important because it will push SF elected officials to introduce and support policies aimed at making it easier to build more housing.
With so much of the city behind pro-housing proposals, it's up to the Board of Supervisors to listen to residents and pass the Mayor's zoning plan.
3. Impact Fee Relief Could Unlock Thousands of Homes
One of the main reasons for the slow rate of development in San Francisco is the fees placed on development projects. An exciting development is a proposal from Mayor Lurie, with support from Supervisors Dorsey and Mahmood, which would:
Waive five extra local impact fees in the Market & Octavia area (on top of existing citywide fees)
Apply to both already-approved and future housing projects
Keep all citywide impact fees in place (inclusionary, transportation, childcare, arts)
This proposal could unlock over 2,500 homes that are approved but not being built due to cost concerns. Already, 144 San Franciscans have signed HAC's petition in support of this initiative.
These developments show that San Francisco is making meaningful progress toward addressing its housing crisis, with strong public support and practical policy solutions creating reason for optimism.
