Good Policy | Public Land for Affordable Housing: What SF Voters Approved, A Decade Later

Access to land continues to be one of the biggest financial barriers to building housing.

In 2015, San Francisco voters approved Prop K by 74% — providing the clear mandate to City Hall: “Public land belongs to the people and should be prioritized for affordable housing development.” A decade later, City Hall continues to find ways to circumvent the will of the voters, blowing key opportunities to deliver hundreds of homes on public sites that are then lost forever.

In this episode of SF PROPEL's Good Policy Series, we look at why public land is one of the most powerful — and most squandered — tools for addressing San Francisco's affordable housing crisis. From Muni bus yards to surplus city parcels, the resources exist but the political will doesn’t.

Featuring perspectives from affordable housing developers and policy advocates, we’ll touch on one way to strengthen existing policy so government can’t skirt its responsibility: through the creation of an Affordable Housing Special Use District.