Committee adopts amendments and continues group‑housing definition ordinance for further drafting

The committee considered an ordinance to revise the Planning Code definition of 'group housing' to distinguish group housing units from dwelling units and prevent the use of limited kitchens to bypass dwelling‑unit requirements.

Sponsor Supervisor Peskin described amendments that increase the common space requirement (to 0.5 sq. ft. per private sq. ft.), require at least one communal kitchen per 15 housing rooms, and revise other ratios based on California College for the Arts recommendations. The sponsor and Planning staff said student housing and 100% affordable housing would be exempt from certain communal amenity requirements.

Public comment was extensive and split. Some SRO advocates and tenants’ groups supported the clarification as necessary to protect vulnerable residents and preserve the intent of group housing; several developers and industry representatives warned the changes could make projects infeasible, asked for grandfathering or a working group, and raised CEQA and legal questions. The committee adopted the sponsor’s amendments but, after noting the City Attorney required one‑week continuance on substantive items, voted to continue the ordinance so final drafting and legal review could be completed.