Pass: 143,918 / 74.2% Yes votes ...... 50,041 / 25.8% No votes

See Also: Index of all Propositions

Summary Prepared by the Ballot Simplification Committee:

The Way It Is Now: San Francisco has a policy of using real property the City does not need (surplus property) to build affordable housing. If the property is not suitable for housing, it can be sold and the proceeds used to build affordable housing elsewhere in the City.

Under the City's policy, affordable housing is housing that is affordable to households earning up to 60% of the area median income.

Every year, City departments are required to identify surplus property. The City transfers the surplus property to the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development, which then determines if the property is suitable for affordable housing. If so, the City solicits applications from nonprofit organizations serving the homeless to build affordable housing on the property. City property controlled by the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Port, the Airport, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Municipal Transportation Agency is exempt from the sale requirements.

The Proposal: Proposition K would:

• expand the allowable uses of surplus property to include building affordable housing for a range of households from those with very low income (homeless and those earning under 20% of the area median income) to those with incomes up to 120% of the area median income;
• in surplus property developments with 200 or more units, allow mixed-income projects that include affordable housing for households earning up to 120% of the area median income, housing for middle-income households earning up to 150% of the area median income and housing with no income limitations;
• expand the annual process for identifying surplus property with specific reporting dates, public hearings and oversight by the Board of Supervisors;
• prohibit the City, without prior approval of the Board of Supervisors, from taking any actions to sell surplus property for 120 days if the Board of Supervisors is considering developing this property for affordable housing;
• require that at least 33% of the total housing units developed on surplus property sold by the City be affordable--with at least 15% of rental units affordable to people earning up to 55% of the area median income and 18% affordable to people earning up to 120% of the area median income;
• maintain exemptions for City property controlled by the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Port, the Airport, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Municipal Transportation Agency; and
• make it City policy to ask all other local agencies, such as school districts, to notify the City before selling property in San Francisco and give the City the opportunity to buy it for affordable housing.

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote on this measure means:

A "YES" Vote Means: If you vote "yes," you want the City to expand the allowable uses of surplus property to include building affordable housing for a range of households from those who are homeless or those with very low income to those with incomes up to 120% of the area median income. For projects of more than 200 units, some housing would be available for households earning up to 150% or more of the area median income.

A NO vote on this measure means:

A "NO" Vote Means: If you vote "no," you do not want to make these changes.