SF Housing Authority

I came across this site put out by the city of San Francisco and thought I would share it with my reader(s). On the surface it doesn't seem like much, but I find the fact the planning commission's attempt at transparency refreshing. They even included a nifty info-graphic.




An excerpt from the site.

Project Summary

The Housing Element is the component of the City’s General Plan that provides a five year vision for housing. San Francisco, along with all municipalities, is required by state law to update the Housing Element of the General Plan every five years. The State requires that a complete and approved draft be submitted by June 26, 2009. Additionally the Planning Department will be completing a full Environmental Impact Report on the 2009 Housing Element update.

The State of California Housing Element law, enacted in 1969, mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems which provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development.

This process will conclude with an effective housing element that provides the necessary conditions for preserving and producing an adequate supply of affordable housing. Among other things, the housing element provides an inventory of land adequately zoned or planned to be zoned for housing, certainty in permit processing procedures, and a commitment to assist in housing development through regulatory concessions and incentives.

In addition, to this fundamental framework, the housing element update process provides a vehicle for establishing and updating housing and land-use strategies reflective of changing needs, resources and conditions. The housing element also provides a powerful tool to address the special housing needs of Californians including the homeless and persons with disabilities. The inclusive planning process ensures that San Francisco promote a variety of housing types including multifamily rental units, transitional and other types of supportive housing. Finally, the housing element update process can also provide a vehicle for San Francisco to adopt housing and land-use strategies to address climate change and the reduction of green house gas emissions, by facilitating housing locations that can significantly contribute to reductions in green house gas emissions.