Forrest Hill building faces strong opposition from wealthy neighbors.
A planned five-story apartment building for low-income seniors to be built by a non-profit developer in the wealthy Forest Hill neighborhood faces adamant obstruction.
San Francisco regularly ranks among the most expensive places to live in the United States. The housing crunch there is so dire that studies show it's negatively impacting the employment and GDP of the entire state.
Unfortunately, identifying the problem of a housing crunch is easier than solving it. While city officials were initially thrilled to hear about the Forrest Park development, it now seems unlikely to happen. Local attorney, Joe Bravo, who is heading the effort against the project explained to the San Francisco Chronicle that the effort to stop the building, "Is not a question of being a NIMBY. It’s a question of saving the Hill."
J.K. Dineen reports that, "Some residents took pains to say it was the height and density of the building that they opposed, not the fact that it would house low-income seniors, 20 to 30 percent of whom would be formerly homeless." Others shared worries that they would be concerned about letting their children play outside if the building was allowed to go up. Because of the lack of support, Norman Yee, head of the Board of Supervisors said he would be unable to support the development in its current form.
FULL STORY: In a wealthy SF neighborhood, residents fight low-income housing
Backlash to San Francisco Development Spotlights City’s Conflicting Priorities
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood say they support new housing, but object to a proposed building that would replace one of the area’s only green spaces.
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Ideally, planners could balance homeowners' interests in zoning against the public good, liberalizing zoning when prices got too high. But this may be politically impossible.
Housing Costs More Than a Matter of Supply and Demand
Does new market rate housing increase the average cost of housing, by inducing demand, or does it help stabilize the housing market by offering new supply? The debate continues in San Francisco.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
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