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Gina Simi
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San Francisco Planning Commission Endorses Mission Action Plan

First of its kind community-initiated effort to maintain the socio-economic diversity
and vitality of the Mission District

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Planning Commission has unanimously approved the Mission Action Plan 2020 (MAP 2020), a series of programmatic strategies to retain low to moderate income residents and community-serving businesses, artists’ organizations, and nonprofits in the Mission District. This community-initiated effort is a first-of-its-kind partnership between City government and community advocates working together to identify potential solutions for those most vulnerable to being displaced by the rapid changes in the Mission.

“San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods are the heart of what makes us a thriving, unique city,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “This plan is the result of extensive collaboration between the City and the community, and offers us a path forward to sustaining the cultural diversity and long-term affordability of the Mission District.”

MAP 2020 began in 2015 as a collaborative process between twenty Mission community lead organizations, including the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), Dolores Street Community Services/Mission SRO Collaborative, SF Tenant Unions, Cultural Action Network; and long-time neighborhood activists from Plaza 16, Pacific Felt Factory, and the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, and City departments including  the Planning Department, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), Health Services Agency (HSA), and the Office and Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). This diverse and dedicated group worked toward developing a comprehensive plan to invest in and introduce proactive strategies related to Housing; Tenant Protections; Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) space; Affordable Housing Preservation and Production; Economic Development; Community Planning and Homelessness.  

“This is an important step forward in the long term stabilization and vitality of the Mission,” said John Rahaim, Director of the San Francisco Planning Department. “This report demonstrates that despite our differences, we can come together around common values and take action toward equitable outcomes for communities in crisis. We may not always agree, but the progress we have made thus far exemplifies reaching consensus through extensive dialogue and trust building, as well as where there is still work to be done. Forging partnerships between the community and city government such as MAP 2020 can serve as a model for an equity approach to policymaking and growth; for not only other communities in San Francisco, but other cities struggling with similar challenges.”

Phase One of the Plan identifies a series of potential solutions and next steps to advance the following objectives:

• Maintain the socio-economic diversity of the neighborhood by stabilizing the low and moderate income households at 65 percent of the total households;
• Protect tenants at risk of eviction and preserve existing housing, particularly rent-controlled apartments and single-room occupancy hotels;
• Increase the proportion of affordable units, compared to market rate units, planned and under construction to balance the housing mix;
• Stem the loss of and promote community businesses, cultural resources, and social services serving low to moderate income households;
• Increase economic security by strengthening educational and economic pathways and job opportunities for low to moderate income individuals and families, especially those without a college education; and
• Retain and promote Production, Distribution and Repair (PDR) and other high-paying jobs for entry level and limited skilled workers.

The City has already began implementing the more programmatic services identified in Phase One, including tenant protections limiting “low-fault evictions,” including evictions based on nuisance, living in units that are not considered legal, and allowing additional roommates within defined guidelines; establishing neighborhood preferences for affordable housing units; providing technical assistance for displaced businesses; nonprofit stabilization programs; incentivizing support for legacy businesses. The City is also looking at legislation discussed in the Plan, including zoning changes that create a special use district within the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.  The Calle 24 SUD would impose new business regulations along the Mission’s 24th Street corridor in an effort to protect the neighborhood’s commercial character and support businesses in their efforts to contribute to the unique identity of the area. 

An implementation working group comprised of City staff and community organizations will meet as needed to focus on the progress of specific MAP2020 solutions, identify next steps, and produce an annual report to monitor progress towards targets. The working group will also meet quarterly with the larger group of MAP2020 participants to provide status updates and recommend any midcourse adjustments that might be needed.

As efforts continue to implement the solutions identified in Phase One, the City and community are simultaneously working toward completing next phase of MAP2020 work,  addressing:

• The role of the current market-rate housing pipeline in the affordability crisis;
• Area Median Income (AMI) target levels for affordable housing;
• Planning for long-term solutions for affordable housing;
• Improving the public’s access to and voice in the City’s processes for planning for housing, transportation, or other public investments;
• Analyzing effects of transit projects on at-risk communities and gentrification; and
• Discussing the lasting power or relevance of earlier Plans or technical analyses, particularly the Eastern Neighborhoods Environmental Impact Report.

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