Who We Are | What We Do | Accomplishments

Who We Are

We are very proud of our membership! As you can see below, SFHAC includes a broad range of organizations that have come together to support building more housing in San Francisco. Our bylaws require a balance between developers and their advocates and organizations that do not have a direct financial interest in housing development. As of March 2007, our members are:

AF Evans Development Asian Inc. Barbary Coast Consulting Berg Davis Public Affairs Blackpoint Press Bridge Housing Corporation Build Inc. Carpenters Local 22 Castro Area Planning + Action Cathedral Hill Plaza Catholic Charities CYO Center for Creative Land Recycling Citizens Housing Corporation City CarShare CUNA Mutual Group David Baker + Associates Ecumenical Association for Housing Emerald Fund Fannie Mae Farella, Braun & Martel, LLP Fifield Company Forest City Development Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP Glen Park Association Greenbelt Alliance Habitat for Humanity Hauser Architects Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association Heller Manus Architects Jewish Community Relations Council John Stewart Company KDF Communities KwanHenmi Architecture & Planning Laborers Local 261 League of Conservation Voters

Lennar Communities Livable City Martin Building Company Mercy Housing California Mission Housing Development Corporation Morrison & Foerster LLP MR Wolfe & Associates Nibbi Brothers Construction OpenHouse Pacific Gas and Electric Company Planning Association of the Richmond Pulte Homes Corporation Reuben & Junius, LLP Rubecon General Contracting San Francisco Bicycle Coalition San Francisco Building and Construction Trade Council San Francisco Chamber of Commerce San Francisco CityScape San Francisco Housing Development Corporation San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR) San Francisco State University Solomon E.T.C. Spectrum Federal Credit Union Sunset Heights Association of Responsible People (SHARP) United Educators of San Francisco Urban Ecology Urban Housing Group UrbanGreen devco Wells Fargo Bank West Bay Housing Corporation

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What We Do

Advocacy: The SFHAC advocates for changes to local land use and building policies in order to provide more housing opportunities for all San Franciscans and preserve existing affordable housing resources.

Endorsements. We publicly endorse and secure city approval of housing developments that meet our criteria.

Education and Outreach: SFHAC works with neighborhood associations and interest groups to identify common ground about the best way to provide housing. We participate in the planning process to speak up for the creative inclusion of new housing in neighborhood plans.

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Major Accomplishments

Endorsements. In our eight-plus years, SFHAC has endorsed over 40 residential projects, comprising over 6,000 units, a significant fraction of them below market rate.  We continue to thoughtfully review and forcefully support projects that meet our guidelines.

Eastern Neighborhoods.  The SFHAC is on the front lines in the City’s debate around the proposed re-zoning of San Francisco’s Eastern Neighborhoods.  This requires finding a sensible balance between our future needs for light industry and housing.  The SFHAC’s expertise and diverse membership makes it ideally suited to craft consensus solutions to this enormous, crucial policy area.

Inclusionary Housing. The SFHAC played a leading role in the recent legislative compromise for modifying the City’s inclusionary housing ordinance.  This was a complex, technical question that required finding a level that balanced continued production of affordable housing without curtailing overall residential construction.

Better Neighborhoods Program. Initiated and secured funding of over $3 million in funds for the City Planning Department's "Better Neighborhoods" Program, a participatory neighborhood planning effort that has produced comprehensive specific plans for three opportunity areas of the city, and is starting a fourth. See www.betterneighborhoods.org.

Housing Over Retail.  The SFHAC continues to advocate for a City policy that will encourage systematic conversion of San Francisco’s many under-utilized retail sites, especially grocery stores, into vibrant mixed-use developments.  In December 2005, SFHAC co-hosted a housing-over-retail forum at City Hall and we are continuing to push for legislation.

University Housing.  In May 2006, SFHAC held two forums promoting new solutions to address the chronic shortage for housing students at the City’s numerous colleges and universities.  These meetings showcased exciting developments in student housing outside San Francisco.

C-3 Parking.  The SFHAC worked to support a compromise for downtown parking regulations that would not harm residential development yet would add improvements for pedestrians and help reduce dependence on cars.

Annual dues for member organizations depend on their operating budget size. If your organization would like to join SFHAC, please contact Tim Colen, Executive Director at: tim@sfhac.org or 415/541-9001.

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