Much of Bay Area Lagging Far Behind Even SF on State-Mandated Housing Goals

San Francisco has permitted just 5% of its mandated housing units under the 2023 Housing Element plan, which aims for 82,000 new units by 2031. The Chronicle's analysis reveals that cities like Oakland and San Jose are also falling short, permitting 6. 9% and 8. 3% of their required units. Alarmingly, 29 Bay Area cities are lagging behind, with some permitting less than 1% of their targets.

Despite state laws aimed at expediting housing approvals, economic factors such as soaring construction costs and interest rates continue to deter developers. Notably, Santa Rosa and American Canyon have made significant progress, reaching 38% and 56% of their goals. UC Berkeley's Sarah Karlinsky emphasizes that cities can facilitate housing development but are at the mercy of developer decisions. State Senator Scott Wiener's SB423 bill, designed to streamline approvals in San Francisco, has yielded minimal results so far. The overall lack of developer engagement raises concerns about meeting future housing needs in the Bay Area.