Richard Hillis, appointed director of the San Francisco Planning Department in February 2020, faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising interest rates stalling city development. Hillis advocated for new development as vital to combating the city's housing crisis, implementing key initiatives like the 'housing element' to streamline development process, and a 'family zoning ordinance' to increase housing density in western neighborhoods. As he retires, he reflects on the necessity of various housing types to address affordability and the ongoing housing demand, expressing hope for achieving 82,000 new units by 2031.
I'm proud of the work we did - passing the housing element to streamline development and addressing the affordable housing crisis with various housing types throughout the city.
Blocking new construction on the grounds that it wouldn't be affordable was a dead end. We need to accept that neighborhoods are getting more expensive.
Collection
[
|
...
]