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5 min read San Francisco Budget and Appropriations Committee

SF's housing fee cuts haven't moved the needle, BLA finds

San Francisco Budget and Appropriations Committee: BLA reports flagged a $80K-$308K per-unit housing feasibility gap and SF hitting its GO bond cap in 2032. Plus Chan's June priorities.
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San Francisco
Budget and Appropriations Committee Meeting
May 6, 2026

TL;DR

  • BLA's housing incentives report found a feasibility gap of $80,000 to $308,000 per unit; fee cuts since 2023 haven't been enough to close it.
  • SF had the lowest building permits per capita among California's 10 largest cities in 2024, with 127 units permitted.
  • BLA's debt capacity report found SF will hit its GO bond limit in 2032 and its COP limit in FY2028-29, with about $300M in authorized but unissued GO bond debt available now.
  • Chair Connie Chan said she wants the June budget to redirect unspent bond money toward aging fire apparatus and the Chinatown Preservation Fund.
  • The Hall of Justice exit project, currently planned at $422M, may come in lower than budgeted depending on how the police investigations relocation is fit out.

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