Statement: We Must Make It Easier to Build New Housing in San Francisco
Statement by Supervisor Joel Engardio
San Francisco Planning Commission meeting
June 30, 2023
We Must Make It Easier to Build New Housing in San Francisco
We must make it easier to build the housing we need to keep young families in San Francisco. Our future depends on it. Seniors also benefit from new housing. It gives them options to downsize and age safely in an elevator building without having to leave their neighborhood.
I support the mayor’s legislation that removes barriers to new housing. The legislation is technical. But it also has heart. The technical part provides common sense reforms to outdated zoning regulations. The heart of this legislation keeps our loved ones in San Francisco by making it easier to house them.
Read more about a housing concept called Dom-i-city that is ideal for westside neighborhoods.
Supervisor Joel Engardio speaks at a City Hall rally in support of the mayor's legislation making it easier to build new housing. June 29, 2023
Supervisor Joel Engardio’s remarks to the San Francisco Planning Commission on June 29, 2023:
When I was here earlier this month, I spoke about a housing concept called Dom-i-city. Short for Domiciles in the City.
It’s five stories of housing above a cafe, grocery, senior center, or childcare that all residents in a neighborhood can benefit from.
It’s what you commonly see in a city like Paris. When I went to Paris, I saw six-story apartment buildings everywhere. But I only remember the tree-lined streets and sidewalk cafes, not the building height.
Dom-i-city brings a bit of Paris to San Francisco. I don’t propose turning our city into Paris. We will always be uniquely San Francisco. But we don’t have enough housing for our teachers, first responders, and the next generation of families.
That’s why Dom-i-city is ideal for westside neighborhoods. It would fit on transit corridors or any corner lot.
Dom-i-city returns areas of the westside to its original intention. Beautiful five and six-story apartment buildings from the Art Deco era were built on West Portal Avenue and Irving Street a century ago.
Dom-i-city goes back to the future to solve San Francisco’s housing needs.
It will help the adult children and grandchildren of longtime residents stay in San Francisco. And it will give seniors more options. They can downsize to elevator buildings and age safely without having to leave their neighborhoods or San Francisco.
It’s in this spirit that I have co-sponsored legislation with the mayor to make it easier to build housing like Dom-i-city. Housing we desperately need for young families and seniors.
As the supervisor for the Sunset, I can report that many westside residents want this housing.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight wrote about Dom-i-city recently and I received many messages from residents who love the idea. Let me read a few.
Denise said: “I was born in San Francisco and have lived all of my 71 years in the Outer Sunset. I am a retired teacher. I love your idea because I want to sell my large house, downsize, and live out my days without having to leave my beloved neighborhood.”
Lily said: “I’m totally in favor of converting existing one story commercial buildings into Paris-like living spaces. I for one would love to downsize to one of those units!”
Ron said: “I love your idea of comparing San Francisco housing to that of Paris. I've always thought the same thing. I own my home and the home on each side of mine is vacant. I would like to consider a sale to create a lot for Dom-i-city. One neighbor has already expressed an interest.”
The mayor’s legislation will help make Dom-i-city and many other types of housing easier to build. It gets rid of unnecessary processes that only serve to slow things down when they’re already compliant. It reforms outdated requirements. It expands incentives to build the kind of housing we need.
I’ve heard people say the legislation will only build high priced housing for wealthy families making $150,000 to $190,000 a year. But that’s the combined salary of a school teacher and a first responder. That’s the family who can no longer afford to live in San Francisco.
This is exactly the kind of housing we need to focus on and build because many of our teachers and first responders live far away.
I’ve also heard people say the legislation is bad for the environment, because building new housing will “use massive amounts of cement and release more greenhouse gasses.”
I don’t understand this logic. The best thing for the environment and economic opportunity is housing in cities so people don’t have to drive long commutes. We made a commitment in our housing element, passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, to address environmental concerns by building housing close to transportation.
I already have a home in San Francisco. I want to support the ability of the next generation to have a home. I remember what it was like to be young and seek the opportunity to build a life.
This legislation is technical. But it also has heart. The technical part provides common sense reforms to outdated zoning regulations. The heart of this legislation keeps our loved ones in San Francisco by making it easier to house them.
And if we build concepts like Dom-i-city, we won’t need comparisons to Paris. We will have created our best San Francisco.