SAN FRANCISCO—The Mission District Housing Moratorium has been approved to appear on the November election ballot.
The moratorium began as a petition filed by lawyer Jonathan Scott Weaver, who has practiced in areas involving real estate and landlord/tenant. It was later introduced to city officials with the help of supervisor David Campos.
The petition gathered 15,006 signatures before the deadline on July 6, and its placement on the ballot is now confirmed by the Department of Elections.
The initiative is a moratorium on housing projects of the Mission District of San Francisco, where it will temporarily prohibit issuing of permits to certain housing projects in that area. The initiative specifies that the moratorium will last 18 months and will allow for this time to be increased by 12 additional months.
During that time frame, the city will not be allowed to issue permits for the demolition, conversion, or new construction of housing projects with five or more units. The city will also not be able to issue for demolition, conversion, or elimination of PDR use, unless elimination is needed for a building that offers affordable housing. PDR stands for production, distribution, and repair. PDR users utilize the space in San Francisco neighborhoods for industrial use.
If a housing project offers 100 percent affordable housing, these limitations will not apply.
The second provision in the initiative necessitates a Neighborhood Stabilization Plan by January 31, 2017, which would allow for further policy-making regarding affordable housing in the Mission District. Under this plan, 50 percent of the new housing should be reasonably priced for middle and low income families.
Voters will be able to decide on the initiative, along with others, on November 3.
