An architect who does multifamily housing throughout CA told me recently, "The secret's not out, but San Francisco, erstwhile worst offender, has become one of the easiest places to get projects entitled & permitted in CA." I asked what changed. He said, "The mayor." 1/5
"Just about everyone in every city dept now understands its their job to get permits issued, quickly. Mangers got their marching orders from @DanielLurie and workflows have gotten much better." (I'm paraphrasing his remarks.) /2
S.F. still has all sorts of lousy laws & policies that thwart housing production -- high transfer taxes, high IZ, expensive bespoke code requirements, de facto prohibitions on redevelopment of any building w/ rent-controlled units -- but mgmt apparently is much improved. /3
The architect's comments really drive home the importance of rewarding / punishing cities for housing outcomes, not just preempting exclusionary zoning, de jure permitting discretion, and high fees. /4
Getting the law right is important, but if the municipal bureaucracy (or the principals in charge of it) don't want housing development, good law will only get you so far. /end
Opportunity cost is a real issue on sites with more than dirt