There’s no more vivid image of San Francisco’s inequality: thousands sleep on the streets each night, while thousands of luxury condos sit empty above them. Now, this progressive rallying cry has led to a concrete policy proposal.
Residential high-rises along Folsom Street in the South of Market area. In order to prevent thousands of luxury condos and other potential homes from sitting empty, Supervisor Dean Preston has proposed an “empty homes tax” for the November ballot that would charge property owners who leave their units vacant for more than six months.
San Francisco had over 40,000 vacant homes in 2019, representing about 10% of the housing stock, according to a Budget and Legislative Analyst But since it was announced earlier this month, the proposed tax has garnered criticism for excluding single family homes and duplexes, and sparked a broader conversation about the meaning of San Francisco’s vacant home data.
As for enforcement, each year, subject property owners would have to send a declaration to the Assessor Recorder demonstrating that their unit is not vacant. on residential vacancy in San Francisco. While SPUR has not yet taken a position on the ballot measure, the urban planning think tank has supported similar policies in the past.
“I don’t really understand that from a policy perspective,” Karlinksy said. While there are higher concentrations of vacant units in and around downtown, Karlinsky added, vacant homes are spread “throughout the city, and also in places that are characterized by single family homes. Why would you exempt Pacific Heights from a vacancy tax?”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Light in the dark: Meet San Francisco’s life-saving saxophone player - The San Francisco ExaminerFar below Market Street, Kalin Freeman plays his saxophone for people at the Montgomery BART station, bringing light to a dark place, in a dark time.
Read more »
Meth: San Francisco’s drug crisis within a drug crisis - The San Francisco ExaminerThe Castro Country Club offers a glimpse of what the flip side of an otherwise horrific spike in drug overdoses across SF could look like. But safe spaces for meth users are scant here. Even more rare are treatment options to lead someone through recovery.
Read more »
Opinion: Ukraine intervention is a matter of people, not politics - The San Francisco ExaminerOPINION: Americans often think of war in geopolitical terms. But people and families stand in the center of the storm.
Read more »
Here’s the Mardi Gras plan for San Jose’s Poor House BistroEven though the New Orleans-style restaurant’s house has been moved, the Fat Tuesday celebrations will continue at the patio on its old site.
Read more »
Icehouse Revival: Even as San Antonio grows, outdoor drinking spots remain a local fixtureWhile icehouse culture has been a longtime part of San Antonio, the city’s experienced an upswing in far fancier places to drink. SanAntonio SATX SanAntonioTX SanAntonioNightlife ThingsDoTOInSanAntonio
Read more »