This November, there will be two competing housing streamlining measures on the ballot. Both measures give faster approvals to housing that meets certain criteria. The proposals are similar in many ways, but this blog will aim to clearly delineate the differences between them.

Broadly speaking, the Affordable Homes Now measure aims at higher incomes, with a smaller number of affordable units, and somewhat higher pay for construction workers. The Affordable Housing Production Act aims at lower incomes, with a larger number of affordable units, and much higher pay for construction workers on inclusionary housing (mixed income) developments.

Let’s look at the measures, side by side:

The proponents of Affordable Homes Now argue that the standards in the Affordable Housing Production Act are too high for developers to meet, and as a result, housing production will not increase.

The proponents of the Affordable Housing Production Act argue that Affordable Homes Now will result in the production of units that are too expensive for working people to afford, and that units above 120% AMI are likely to sit open because people with moderate incomes have cheaper options on the private market. They also argue that redefining affordable housing at higher rents will crowd out affordable development at deeper levels of affordability.

The Affordable Homes Now measure has already qualified for the ballot based on signatures collected after it was rejected by a subcommittee of the Board of Supervisors. The Affordable Housing Production Act is expected to be placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors later this month.

Whichever measure receives more votes in November will take effect.

Sources:

1. Affordable Homes Now Initiative Text. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IwR_lDwTuFcu09EPoy4MiqlUCdC4B2P7/view
2. Affordable Housing Production Act Revised Legislative Digest (Fourth Draft, 7/12/2022). https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11053021&GUID=FA294AEE-8451-460D-B92C-0245DCF1C944
3. MOHCD Maximum Income by Household Size, 2022. https://sfmohcd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/MOH/BMR%20Ownership/2022%20AMI-IncomeLimits.pdf
4. MOHCD Maximum Monthly Rent By Unit Type, 2022. https://sfmohcd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/MOH/Asset%20Management/2022%20AMI-RentLimits-HMFA.pdf
5. San Francisco Planning Code Section 206.9, 100% Affordable Housing and Educator Housing. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_planning/0-0-0-62348
6. Skilled and Trained Workforce Requirements, Associated General Contractors of California. https://www.agc-ca.org/resources/labor-relations/skilled-trained-workforce-requirements/
7. Prevailing Wage Requirements. CA Department of Industrial Relations. https://www.dir.ca.gov/public-works/prevailing-wage.html