With a rise in vacant office buildings and a nationwide affordable housing crisis, cities are exploring ways to convert commercial space into residential units. San Francisco officials are seeking to boost downtown housing by proposing to eliminate the zoning requirement for large mixed-use projects to include a minimum amount of office space. Co-sponsored by Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey, the proposal responds to changing office space demands and aims to address the city’s housing needs. The zoning change would remove the current two-to-one commercial-to-residential ratio. This move also supports Mayor Breed’s goal of adding 30,000 new residents and students to downtown by 2030.
