Oakland’s Mayor Offers to Solve San Francisco’s Affordable Housing Problem

Libby Shaaf has a plan.

(Photo by Basil D Soufi)

This is your first of three free stories this month. Become a free or sustaining member to read unlimited articles, webinars and ebooks.

Become A Member

The Mayor of Oakland has a plan to address San Francisco’s affordable housing shortage: Build affordable housing in Oakland. Mayor Libby Shaaf met with the San Francisco Chronicle last week to lay out her plan, saying she hadn’t yet talked with San Francisco officials about the idea.

“What has been vetted, what we do know, is that no one city can address the regional housing crisis by itself,” said Tomiqutia Moss, Shaaf’s chief of staff. “San Francisco and Oakland can’t solve these problems on their own because jobs, transportation and housing are all components that people think about when deciding on a place to live.”

As Next City’s Equity Factor columnist Alexis Stephens wrote in “Is Development Without Displacement Possible in the Bay Area?,” Oakland has its own concerns about rising rents and booming real estate and their impact on longtime residents.

The Chronicle reports that Shaaf’s offer isn’t out of line for the Northern California region.

Schaaf’s idea also lines up pretty closely with the long-term Sustainable Communities Strategy regional planning law passed in 2008 and being carried out by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and ABAG. The law calls for the state’s 18 metropolitan areas to accommodate future population growth while at the same time reducing vehicular carbon emissions.

In the Bay Area, it means that the nine counties must come up with a working plan to provide housing for all income levels and to promote use of public transportation systems to reduce car use, emissions and urban sprawl.

This regional solution would allow San Francisco residents who qualify for affordable housing to live in units built in Oakland. Christine Falvey, spokeswoman for San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, says that Lee is open to exploring regional housing partnerships.

Like what you’re reading? Get a browser notification whenever we post a new story. You’re signed-up for browser notifications of new stories. No longer want to be notified? Unsubscribe.

Jenn Stanley is a freelance journalist, essayist and independent producer living in Chicago. She has an M.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Follow Jenn .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Tags: affordable housingsan franciscooakland

×
Next City App Never Miss A StoryDownload our app ×
×

You've reached your monthly limit of three free stories.

This is not a paywall. Become a free or sustaining member to continue reading.

  • Read unlimited stories each month
  • Our email newsletter
  • Webinars and ebooks in one click
  • Our Solutions of the Year magazine
  • Support solutions journalism and preserve access to all readers who work to liberate cities

Join 1096 other sustainers such as:

  • Gabby at $5/Month
  • Abigail at $10/Month
  • Gloria at $5/Month

Already a member? Log in here. U.S. donations are tax-deductible minus the value of thank-you gifts. Questions? Learn more about our membership options.

or pay by credit card:

All members are automatically signed-up to our email newsletter. You can unsubscribe with one-click at any time.

  • Donate $20 or $5/Month

    20th Anniversary Solutions of the Year magazine

has donated ! Thank you 🎉
Donate
×