San Francisco seeks pro housing designation from California's housing program

San Francisco is taking a significant step towards enhancing its affordable housing efforts by applying for the Pro Housing Designation Program, a state initiative aimed at boosting funding opportunities for cities committed to affordable housing development. During a recent government meeting, Kira Geisman from the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development presented the resolution, emphasizing that this designation would provide San Francisco with critical preference points in securing state funding for housing projects.

The Pro Housing Designation Program, launched in June 2021, is designed to reward cities that demonstrate a commitment to affordable housing. Geisman highlighted that having this designation could significantly improve San Francisco's chances of receiving funding from various state programs, which have already allocated over $309 million to 18 projects since 2018. This funding is essential for building thousands of new affordable housing units in the city.

Geisman reassured the committee that the application would not commit San Francisco to new programs but would build on existing successful policies, such as the local density bonus program and the accessory dwelling unit initiative. The city is optimistic about its chances of receiving the designation, especially as it prepares to submit an updated housing element to the state in October.

The discussion also touched on the competitive nature of the funding landscape, with other cities, including Sacramento, already having received the designation. The urgency to secure this designation was underscored by the need for San Francisco to remain competitive in attracting state resources for housing development.

As the city moves forward with this application, the implications for affordable housing in San Francisco could be profound, potentially unlocking new funding avenues and accelerating the development of much-needed housing solutions. The committee is expected to continue discussions and public comments on this pivotal initiative in the coming weeks.