The city of San Francisco has only issued seven new housing permits in the first two months of 2024, The San Francisco Standard reported Monday.
San Francisco committed to building 82,000 housing units by 2031 in a plan adopted in 2023, according to the outlet. (RELATED: California Building Fewer Homes As Residents Continue Getting Smacked With Astronomically High Rent)
Who’s counting? Federal housing officials say San Francisco has permitted less than 10 units in the first two months of 2024. But city officials say that doesn’t tell the whole story. https://t.co/cuaxMd27O1
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) April 8, 2024
The number of approved new housing does not count a number of scenarios such as refurbishment and conversion projects, The San Francisco Standard reported. The city reportedly claimed it had permitted 341 new housing units in three months since the start of 2024. The outlet observed that under the current rate of approvals, it would take the city decades build 82,000 new housing units.
City developers reportedly concurred with the sluggishness of the approval process and added that the business and economic conditions necessary for the undertaking of building 82,000 units are not favorable. “If there is a cold season economically, then we are in it. We continue to hear from developers that projects just don’t pencil out right now. While we can’t change the economic climate, we can work on what’s within our control—streamlining processes. Our goal is to make it easier for developers to build when the time is right,” San Francisco Planning Department spokeswoman Anne Yalon told the outlet.
City officials have said that further reforms are needed for a construction boom to emerge. “We need a future that includes housing for all San Franciscans. This past week, I directed Planning to revise our proposed citywide rezoning plan so we see actual construction spread across the entire City,” Democratic San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted Saturday.
We need a future that includes housing for all San Franciscans. This past week, I directed Planning to revise our proposed citywide rezoning plan so we see actual construction spread across the entire City. pic.twitter.com/gXGKlw3XXi
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) April 6, 2024
Mayor Breed mentioned in her Twitter thread that the city had “until January 2026 to pass a robust, citywide rezoning” that would rework the house building process.
We have until January 2026 to pass a robust, citywide rezoning that will be the most significant change to San Francisco housing since parts of this city were downzoned in the 1970s. It’s time to lean into this historic moment and see this challenge as an opportunity.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) April 6, 2024
A study commissioned by Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom found back in Oct. 2023 that the city had “the longest timelines and some of the highest procedural hurdles in the state for advancing housing projects to construction. These delays, combined with some of the highest housing construction costs in California, create a barrier to addressing the community’s unmet housing needs.”