Jobs-Housing Linkage Fee Legislation Passed, A Victory for the Community

Supervisor Matt Haney (back center) with SOMCAN and various community groups in support of the passing of the Jobs-Housing Linkage Fee

In a landslide win, a legislation proposed by District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney that will force office developers to pay more for affordable housing has passed with a unanimous 11-0 vote from the Board of Supervisors last October 29, 2019.

The Jobs-Housing Linkage Fee is a legislation from 1996 that is meant to fund housing construction to offset the demand for housing that new office employment creates. In other words, it is a way to make developers pay to offset the housing demand they have created by charging them a fee for new market-rate construction and use the funds to pay for affordable housing. Supervisor Matt Haney introduced the legislation to raise the fee from $28.57 a square foot to $69.60 a square foot. The sum could generate money for affordable housing over the next ten years as much as the mayor’s proposed $600 million housing bond.

Supervisor Matt Haney with SOMCAN staff and members of community groups at a press conference for
the Job-Housing Linkage Fee Legislation

In an article published in 48hills, Haney shared that it was the unity and strength of the community that was instrumental in the victory with the legislation. “They are used to getting their way at City Hall, and we showed that when we can bring community and labor together, we can win.”

SOMCAN director Angelica Cabande expressed her gratitude to the community through a post about the legislations passing on SOMCAN's facebook page: "Thank you all for signing our Jobs-Housing Linkage petition and making your rounds of calls/emails/Sup. visits. Our collective power was able to get not only Mandelman, Brown and Safai, but it was a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors! Power to the People!"