San Francisco Election Results: Airbnb Regulations, Mission Moratorium, Housing Bond

San Francisco voters rejected a moratorium on market rate housing in The Mission (Prop. I) and tighter restrictions on Airbnb (Prop. F), while approving the city's largest-ever housing bond (Prop. H) and a large mixed-use development.

2 minute read

November 4, 2015, 2:00 PM PST

By Irvin Dawid


Tuesday was a major election for San Francisco voters, particularly on housing measures. Presented below are the results, with links to four separate articles from Laura Dudnick of the San Francisco Examiner.

"In a major victory for home-sharing companies like Airbnb, Proposition F, which would have capped nightly stays at 75 per year and allowed The City to fine Airbnb and other hosting websites for listing unregistered rentals appears to have lost,"  write Michael Barba and Laura Dudnick. "Roughly 55 percent of voters said no to the measure, compared to 45 percent who supported it."

The defeat of Prop. F is a significant win for short-term rental companies like Airbnb, which spent millions of dollars in recent weeks and months to dissuade voters from supporting the proposition.

Voters also rejected an 18-month moratorium on market-rate housing in The Mission, and area that is considered 'ground zero' for gentrification perceived to be caused by more affluent technology workers. Prop. I was defeated with 57 percent of the vote. 

"Opponents of the measure argued that a temporary moratorium on building market-rate housing in the Mission would drive up housing costs citywide and would not prevent the displacement of current residents," writes Dudnick.

The third housing measure, "Proposition A, which received 73.5 percent of the vote, authorizes a $310 million housing bond aimed to construct and preserve low- and middle-income homes," writes Dudnick.

Voters also approved Prop. D, a mixed-use development in Mission Bay proposed by the San Francisco Giants "on 28 acres of waterfront property just south of AT&T Park," writes Dudnick.

The Mission Rock project includes 1,500 new rental apartments — 40 percent of which will be offered at below-market-rate — and eight acres of open space, as well as the rehabbing of historic Pier 48 to become the expanded home for Anchor Brewing.

The initiative was required to go before voters because of Proposition B, a measure passed in June 2014 that calls for voter approval of waterfront height-limit increases.

Also on the ballot was the reelection of Mayor Ed Lee, who faced no serious opposition. He won with 57 percent of the votes.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 in San Francisco Examiner

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