Is San Franciso's Ballot Measure for Inclusionary Housing Too Extreme?

Leaders in San Francisco, including Mayor Ed Lee, say that developers should be required to build more affordable housing to go with the market-rate housing they plan to build. This position is shared by a number of housing organizations and civic leaders. But a ballot measure to do exactly that—to boost the existing requirements for new affordable housing—is giving these supporters pause.

In June, San Francisco residents will vote on a slew of measures, among them Proposition C, which would more than double the required on-site affordable-housing requirement for new developments. Raising this requirement from 12 percent to 25 percent could double the amount of below-market housing coming online in San Francisco, the thinking goes. So why don’t housing advocates care for Proposition C?