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| San Francisco Housing Action Coalition | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Francisco Housing Action Coalition |
| Formation | 2019 |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy group |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| Region served | Bay Area |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
| Leader name | [Name withheld] |
| Website | [official website] |
San Francisco Housing Action Coalition The San Francisco Housing Action Coalition is an advocacy organization focused on increasing housing supply and reforming zoning and land use policy in San Francisco, California. It engages with elected officials, neighborhood groups, developers, and regional bodies to promote housing production across the San Francisco Bay Area and influence state-level policy in California. The coalition operates through campaigns, policy proposals, public education, and litigation support to address the city's housing affordability and displacement challenges.
The group was founded amid debates following landmark events such as the Great Recession (2007–2009), the aftermath of Proposition 13 (1978), and the housing debates that followed the Tech boom and the expansion of companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter into the Bay Area. Early activity overlapped with ballot measures including Proposition A (Housing Trust Fund), Proposition K (2016), and municipal debates over the Transbay Transit Center and Candlestick Park redevelopment. The coalition built coalitions with organizations such as SPUR, Tenants Together, San Francisco Neighborhoods for All, and YIMBY Action while engaging with public bodies like the San Francisco Planning Commission and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Its formation was influenced by policy reports from institutions including the Urban Land Institute, the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, and the Brookings Institution.
The coalition states goals consistent with regional plans like Plan Bay Area and state initiatives such as California Senate Bill 827 (and its legislative descendants), seeking to accelerate housing production near transit hubs like BART stations and along corridors such as Market Street and Mission Street. It frames housing expansion as integral to issues addressed by entities like the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Association of Bay Area Governments, and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The organization's stated objectives include promoting reforms to zoning ordinances, supporting transit-oriented development around Embarcadero and Mission Bay, and coordinating with agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development and California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Campaign work has intersected with high-profile debates over projects such as Oceanwide Center, Hunters Point Shipyard, and the Southeast Waterfront Plan. The coalition supported legislation and initiatives advanced by figures including Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, and Supervisor Matt Haney, while opposing measures backed by groups such as Neighborhoods for Sale and certain chapters of Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods. It has participated in public hearings before bodies like the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, California State Legislature, and San Francisco Planning Commission, and has coordinated endorsements for ballot measures comparable to Proposition C (2018) and statewide initiatives like California Proposition 10 (2018), offering counterarguments to tenant advocacy campaigns led by groups like California Alliance of Retired Americans.
The coalition advocates supply-side reforms inspired by reports from the McKinsey Global Institute, California Legislative Analyst's Office, and academics from University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. It favors upzoning corridors near Caltrain and BART, promoting accessory dwelling units policies akin to State Senator Toni Atkins’s proposals and supporting financing mechanisms like local housing trust funds similar to those in Los Angeles and Seattle. Proposals have included changes to Environmental Impact Report processes under the California Environmental Quality Act and modifications to inclusionary housing programs modeled after New York City and Portland, Oregon examples. The coalition has argued for reforms paralleling national conversations in outlets such as The New York Times and analyses by the Urban Institute.
The group's structure includes an executive director, policy staff, outreach coordinators, and volunteer organizers, operating within nonprofit frameworks comparable to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations active in San Francisco. Funding sources have reportedly included small-dollar donations, membership dues, and contributions from philanthropies and donors linked to institutions like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and civic funds associated with Knight Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. It has partnered on grants with academic centers including the Terner Center for Housing Innovation and policy shops like the Public Policy Institute of California.
The coalition has taken public positions on developments including Treasure Island redevelopment, Mission Bay expansion, and Hunters Point projects, advocating for density increases and streamlined approvals. Engagements have led to policy shifts in some San Francisco Planning Department proceedings, influenced amendments to municipal codes, and contributed to public discourse reflected in coverage by San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, and The Guardian (London). The group has collaborated with community organizations such as La Raza Centro Legal, Asian Law Caucus, and San Francisco Tenants Union on specific campaigns and provided expert testimony alongside university researchers from UC Berkeley and San Jose State University.
Critics from organizations including Tenants Together, Eviction Defense Collaborative, and neighborhood coalitions have argued that the coalition’s positions favor developers and fail to protect renters, citing tensions similar to those seen in debates involving YIMBY movement groups nationally. Commentators in outlets like The Nation and Jacobin have raised concerns about links to tech philanthropy and the influence of donors connected to corporations such as Google and Salesforce. Controversies have arisen over endorsements of projects resisted by community groups in Bernal Heights, The Mission District, and Sunset District, and over policy stances on tenant protections parallel to disputes in Oakland and Los Angeles.
Category:Housing advocacy organizations in the United States Category:Organizations based in San Francisco