SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – San Francisco has long struggled with offering affordable housing to the city's residents, and despite some effort, there still is a lot to be done.
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And in some cases, not even the bare minimum is being done. According to a new report by the San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analyst's Office, more than 300 below-market housing units in SF are vacant, despite 21,000 applicants.
According to the report, of April 4, 2022, there were 305 vacant below-market rate rental units out of 1,961 in 101 buildings throughout the city. Some have been vacant for as long as three years.
One factor that may be contributing to the vacancies is that some smaller units have been harder to rent as more people need more space to work from home in during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development as written in the report. More than half of the vacant units are SROs, studios, or one-bedroom apartments.
There are 21,000 applicants vying for one of these units, according to the report, a huge spike in the number of applicants before the pandemic.
Before COVID-19, on average, five applications would come in for each unit. Now, there are currently on average 31 applications for each vacant unit, said the report.
Leases are being processed for 245 units that have been vacant since 2021 and 2022, according to the report, which can take several months to complete.
The decision is based on a lottery system, and anyone who falls within the income and household requirements can apply.
The report, commissioned by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors added that changes should be made to address the vacancies, including regular reports by the MOHCD, amendments to vacancy enforcement procedures, and a review of what market and demographic trends may be contributing to the number of vacancies.
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