San Francisco Mayor’s ‘Family Zoning’ Plan Faces Pushback, Displacement Concerns

San Francisco supervisors are divided on Mayor Dan Lurie’s “family zoning” plan, which narrowly passed the city’s Planning Commission last week. 

As Keith Menconi explains in the San Francisco Examiner, “Responding to fears that the upzoning push could result in widespread tenant displacement, Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Chyanne Chen introduced separate legislative packages this week intended to provide additional safeguards for renters and for San Francisco’s stock of rent-controlled apartments.”

According to Melgar, the plan, which is designed to create more housing in the famously unaffordable city, could harm existing tenants and businesses and push out long-term residents. “Chen’s legislation, introduced Tuesday, includes a variety tenant-protection measures intended to make sure that when apartment buildings are torn down to make way for new developments, low-income residents will be able to stay in those neighborhoods.”

Those measures include a requirement for landlords to notify tenants of redevelopment plans, financial assistance for displaced tenants, and the opportunity for tenants to return to redeveloped properties without a major rent hike.

Melgar’s legislation addresses rent-controlled apartments, which, once redeveloped, cannot be replaced due to a state law that blocks cities from enacting new rent control legislation. “Melgar’s proposed legislation would achieve that goal through a variety of methods, including a measure that aims to prevent the demolition of properties with unpermitted rental homes as well as another that introduces incentives for developers to voluntarily expand rent control.”

Mayor Lurie said he supports Melgar’s proposals, but did not endorse Chen’s proposed legislation. The city must pass a rezoning plan by January 1 to avoid incurring state penalties.