Housing Affordability and the Race for Richmond District Supervisor
I wanted to take a moment to talk about housing affordability in the Richmond District.
As far as I can tell, my fellow candidates for Supervisor in San Francisco’s Richmond District share my commitment to preserving rent control, reducing evictions, transitioning the homeless into permanent housing, and bringing down the extraordinarily high rents in San Francisco. None of us want to see San Francisco turn into a gated or boutique community for the very wealthiest.
When I speak to voters and to the other candidates, I find unusually broad agreement on this issue. ALL of our hearts are in the right place. We can’t lose sight of this basic fact as we approach the November election.
We candidates will differ, however, both in the approaches we bring to addressing these issues, and in the experience and qualifications we bring to the dialogue. A vigorous debate about San Francisco housing policy will be healthy and welcome here in the Richmond.
In my view, California has been under-building for years in regions with strong job growth, and we are reaping the consequences of timid public policy. Despite efforts by City leaders of all political persuasions to build affordable units, we are not keeping pace with population growth, and so displacement continues. We need to build units at all levels of affordability. Yes, this means building some market-rate housing, housing that will serve to increase supply generally and to subsidize a great number of rent-restricted units for low- and middle-income families and residents. Not everyone will agree with this approach; I urge those interested to read closely the California Legislative Analyst’s report.
One alternative to building to meet demand is to simply root for an economic recession, to hope that high-paying jobs will move elsewhere and cause demand for housing to shrink along with our economy. Though I understand, and personally feel, the frustration of being left out of an expanding economy, I can’t root for an economic downturn. I applaud Supervisor Mark Farrell’s call for a deeper analysis by the City of how our land use policies are impacting the economic well-being of those of us in the middle and working classes.
When we build, we need to be careful that new units don’t displace residents locally. As we all know, when a neighborhood suddenly gets “hot,” you can see displacement and dramatic changes in character even if the net effect for the city as a whole is to reduce displacement. This is a legitimate concern, and this Shelterforce article by Rick Jacobus handles the nuances well. I do not expect — and none of us want — the Richmond to experience the kind of fight we’ve seen in the Mission.
We need to balance a cautious approach, however, against simply building nothing at all. We can build in uninhabited, undeveloped properties along our transit corridors without violating existing height or “bulk” limits. Such building gives us the chance to sustain and improve the character of our neighborhood. Underutilized properties, epitomized by the stagnant Alexandria Theater, can be turned into housing for working people who are raising or caring for family members. Rather than seeing such development as a threat, we can view it as an opportunity to share the wealth this City has generated. I believe we can do this well. In that sense, I’m running as an optimist.
We are at once both an innovative and a compassionate City — we can find a way to get out of this crisis without creating new ones. We need to have a broader conversation with neighboring cities, and I look forward to the election of policy expert and urbanist Supervisor Scott Wiener to the California State Senate to lead this complicated conversation.
The cost of addressing homelessness in San Francisco is inextricably linked to the cost of housing in the city, and a regional discussion is overdue. Initiatives such as Housing First, which have generated a lot of excitement, are difficult to implement here in San Francisco where housing is so very expensive. (Read more about my thoughts on homelessness in the Richmond here.)
Housing is a complex issue requiring nuance as well as expertise at all levels of government: local, State, and Federal. I caution voters to be skeptical, especially when the election heats up, of simplistic slogans and solutions. We are going to need to work together to find solutions to these extraordinarily complicated problems. Small property owners — many of whom are themselves struggling to make their finances work — nonprofit organizations, and large developers will all have to be part of the solution.
I believe the ten declared candidates for Richmond District Supervisor are united in our concern and love for the District and all its residents. That said, I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t believe I bring, as a candidate, the most practical, common-sense solutions to the table — solutions that won’t exacerbate the problems we already face. I also believe I bring the experience in local, State, and Federal government we will need to get the bureaucracy working for us here in the Richmond. My strong set of endorsements by elected officials, community leaders, labor and other organizations says less about my ideological stance than it does about the reputation I’ve developed over years of working to help government do good things for people. My record of public votes on the Democratic County Central Committee aligns strongly with Richmond voters.
The Richmond District is hungry for change. We are ready for a Supervisor who will look inward and bring the resources of the City to a neighborhood that is, in many ways, neglected. The role of Supervisor is nonpartisan, and I aim to bring unprecedented focus on constituent and neighborhood services.
As this election heats up, let’s keep our eye on the prize: a vibrant, thriving, inclusive, and affordable Richmond District. I’m looking forward to a healthy and vigorous debate on positive housing solutions for our neighborhood.
I hope you’ll join me in this campaign, and consider offering me one of your three ranked-choice votes in November.
[Update 10/16: President Barack Obama has thrown his weight behind many of these very ideas by releasing a Housing Development Toolkit with an eye towards Bay Area housing development. Read more here.]
支持邁珍競選第一區市議員
