Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 2 supervisor candidates respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Answers are published every Tuesday.
District 2 covers neighborhoods in the north of the city, including the Presidio, the Marina, Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Anza Vista and portions of the Western Addition and North of the Panhandle.
San Francisco has been given an ambitious mandate by the state: plan for 82,000 new housing units by 2031 to address the affordability crisis.
But where in the city should these new housing units go?
San Francisco’s state mandated upzoning plan, which the Board of Supervisors passed in December, offered one answer. It required San Francisco to focus on increasing capacity for new housing in the city’s wealthier neighborhoods, most of which are concentrated in the city’s north and west.
But many people living in those areas, including in District 2, oppose efforts to add new housing to their neighborhoods. They feel that their neighborhoods already have a lot of housing and worry that new, tall buildings will cause real estate speculation and impact neighborhood character. That includes District 2 candidate Lori Brooke, a community organizer who staunchly opposed the upzoning plan.
In a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial board, Brooke suggested that neighborhoods outside of District 2 might be better suited for large housing projects, pointing to the Bayview, a southeastern neighborhood with more low income and Black residents than the rest of the city, as one example.
“There are parts of San Francisco that are begging for economic vitality,” she said. “People want the housing, want the businesses, and nothing happens.”
Mayor-appointed supervisor Stephen Sherrill, meanwhile, supported the upzoning plan — but he has opposed certain housing developments in District 2, including the Marina Safeway project.
This week’s question: In what areas of the city should San Francisco focus on adding housing?
Lori Brooke
- Job: President, Cow Hollow Association
- Age: 62
- Residency: Homeowner, moved to the district 31 years ago
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara
- Languages: English
San Francisco should prioritize new housing in neighborhoods with strong transit, underutilized commercial areas, larger parcels, and infrastructure that can support growth. Housing should be matched with schools, parks, utilities, and public safety so we build complete communities.
Every neighborhood should contribute, but not every neighborhood will be able to absorb the same scale of growth. Some areas have added housing for more than a century and are already among the denser parts of the city. We should also ensure that new developments are prioritizing housing that is affordable for families, seniors, our working class and the next generation.
Endorsed by: Former District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, former State Senator and Supervisor Quentin Kopp, UESF, CA Working Families Party … read more here.
Stephen Sherrill
- Job: Appointed District 2 Supervisor
- Age: 39
- Residency: Homeowner, moved to the district 11 years ago
- Transportation: Driving, public transportation, biking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Yale University
- Languages: English
San Francisco needs more housing in every neighborhood. Since 2005, well-resourced neighborhoods in the north and west sides have produced only about 10 percent of the city’s new housing despite making up over 50 percent of residential land.
I’ve supported a variety of housing projects throughout District 2, including an affordable, teacher-focused development at 750 Golden Gate; new housing for formerly homeless veterans on Van Ness; hundreds of new homes at 3333 and 3700 California; senior housing in the Marina; and more.
Downtown must be part of the answer too. It has the transit, jobs, and infrastructure to support much more housing.
See Sherrill’s full response here.
Endorsed by: Mayor Daniel Lurie, GrowSF, Nor Cal Carpenters Union, San Francisco Police Officers Association, SF YIMBY, Northern Neighbors, San Francisco Democratic Party, Sierra Club … read more here.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at io@missionlocal.com.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.