Studies on Smart Growth

Two recently released studies analyze the benefits of creating compact, efficient neighborhoods. "Bay Area Burden" highlights the importance of “location efficiency”—the proximity of housing to transportation hubs, employment, and retail centers—as a driver of both housing affordability and environmental sustainability. "Windfall for All" explains how switching from sprawl to building neighborhoods which place jobs, housing, and basic amenities closer together can help fight climate change and lower household transportation costs.

"Bay Area Burden"
"Windfall for All"

Upcoming SFHAC Membership Meeting

SFHAC will hold its monthly membership meeting at the offices of HKS Architects, 500 Howard Street in San Francisco. We’re pleased to announce that our guest speaker this month is Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. Please join us on Wednesday, December 2nd at 8:30am to hear his reflections on the land use and housing issues facing San Francisco.

Important Planning Commission Meeting

Please join us at the Planning Commission this Thursday, November 12 for two important items.

The first is a proposed development on 1415 Mission Street, a 14-story project which would include 117 units of housing, 46 parking spaces, and 2700 square feet of ground floor retail space. This serves as an excellent example of transit-oriented in-fill development. This project is seeking commission approval and deserves strong support! For more information on this project please see the SFHAC endorsement letter and project review form.

The second item on Thursday's Planning Commission agenda is an informational presentation on the Northeast Waterfront Plan. This plan involves the potential future use of Port-owned land along the Embarcadero north of Market Street. Of particular interest to SFHAC is the future use of Seawall Lot 351, currently a surface parking lot, and the proposed mixed-use project at 8 Washington Street, a wonderful development that SFHAC endorsed earlier this year. SFHAC believes that this prime waterfront real-estate should be used for more than surface parking. Click here to read SFHAC's letter on the Northeast Waterfront Plan.

SFHAC now on Facebook!

The SFHAC now has a fan page on Facebook. Get connected with more people and organizations in support of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition. Click here to become a fan.

Upcoming SFHAC Member Events

Here are some links to upcoming housing related events from SFHAC members for the months of October and November.

Center for Creative Land Recycling
November 12: "Funding Sustainable Communities"

Cox, Castle & Nicholson, LLP
October 28: "Property Taxes: What can you do to reduce them?"
November 10: "Managing Environmental Risk"

Pillsbury
November 6: "2009 ULI Fall Meeting and Urban Land Expo"

Links to articles on TOD

For those interested in transit-oriented development (TOD), the following articles are a
good primer. "New Places, New Choices" explains what TOD is, outlines the many
benefits of TOD, and examines some current Bay Area transit oriented development
projects. "The ABCs of MTC" outlines the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's
role in promoting transit oriented development, and offers some statistics on Bay Area
public transportation.

"New Places, New Choices"
"The ABCs of MTC"

Housing Hero Awards 2009

Thank you to everyone who came out for the 7th Annual Housing Hero Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, September 23. We had a great turnout to honor this year's housing heroes: Vice President Christina Olague, President Ron Miguel, and the 2009 SF Planning Commission.  

SFHAC recognizes exceptional individuals with the Housing Hero Award for their commitment to creating, advocating, and promoting housing solutions for ALL San Franciscans. We acknowledge and celebrate their contributions towards helping solve our City's housing crisis. This remarkable group exemplifies the mission and goals. 

2009 Housing Summit

This year's housing forum, After the Fall - Charting a New Course for Housing took place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The SFHAC hosted a panel discussion that examined the current economic crisis and the impact on development in San Francisco. The panel was comprised of:

Michael Cohen, Director, Mayor's Office of Workforce and Economic Development
Michael Covarrubias, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, TMG Partners
Steven Fayne, Managing Director, Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Jon Haveman, Founding Partner, Beacon Economics
Cynthia Kroll, Senior Regional Economist Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley
Michael Novogradac, Managing Partner, Novogradac & Co. LLP

Many thanks to our sponsors and all those who attended the event and made it such a success. 

Check out the videos of our event below: