San Francisco's housing policy clash escalated as Mayor London Breed's stance was contradicted when the Board of Supervisors overruled her veto on a controversial housing bill. The legislation, introduced by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, imposes limits on housing development in historically significant areas of the city. Mayor Breed, caught in a tug-of-war with potential mayoral contender Peskin, sees the board's action as a step backward for the city's housing progress.
Breed had vetoed the bill, claiming it conflicted with the city's outlined Housing Element targets, which aim to accommodate over 80,000 new homes by 2031. Critics of the veto, including the Planning Department, championed the legislation as prudent and aligned with the city's preservation needs. Chiming in on the debate, Peskin branded the bill as "responsible planning," according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
The bill downzones the Jackson Square Historic District, its extension, and the Northeast Waterfront Historic District, exempting only projects under the city's office-to-residential conversion program. Mayor Breed lamented the vote, posting X that this marks a "setback" in the mission to address San Francisco's housing shortfall.
Today is a setback in our work to get to yes on housing. But I will not let this be the first step in a dangerous course correction back towards being a city of no. We will not move backward.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) March 26, 2024
My statement on the Board of Supervisors downzoning vote: pic.twitter.com/lYb5JD1dJe
Nonetheless, the opposing faction led by Peskin, who told the Chronicle in January that this move was about correcting "unintended and unanticipated consequences" of former deals, secured an 8-3 majority to enact the restrictions. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman suggested that the political tides stirred by Peskin's probable mayoral bid may have colored the debate's tenor. Mired in such politicization, policies' merits reportedly fall second to electoral strategies.
Supporters of the vetoed legislation argue that it's simply performing necessary historical conservation, with Supervisor Ahsha Safaí asserting the "modest" scope of the law helps preserve the city's character, a sentiment backed by the SF Standard. In contrast, State Senator Scott Wiener slammed the bill for opposing high-density housing in prime transit areas.
