News broke last Friday that several community organizations have gone to the mattresses with über-developer Lennar Corp., walking away with a legally-binding agreement that puts Proposition G on the hook for a total of 35 percent affordable housing, a ten percent increase from its initial plan. Advocates of the Daly-backed proposition F aren't yet convinced— 50 percent or die!— but even staunch "progressives" have to admit that even though much remains to be seen, this kind of cooperation is all but unprecedented. Family-sized housing (not the studios and one-bedrooms that often make BMR housing out of reach for families); funding for job training and community programs— Lennar's second crack seems like a fairly solid one. (See below for details.) In today's Beyond Chron, however, Paul Hogarth recapped the comments of another journo at last night's press conference
[Are] Lennar’s concessions to the community a desperate, eleventh-hour move to save their measure? By facing an alternative measure that would be financially unfeasible for most private developers, Lennar had simply no choice but to “play ball” with the community if they wanted to stay in town.
· CurbedWire Late Edition: Lennar Corp. Agreement Allows for More Affordable Housing [Curbed SF]
San Francisco Labor Council & Allies to Sign Historic Community Benefit Agreement with Lennar Corporation
Agreement will create 3,500 units of New Housing Affordable to very low-income and Working Families
What: The San Francisco Labor Council, along with its community and interfaith partners, ACORN (Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now) and SFOP (San Francisco Organizing Project) have reached a groundbreaking agreement with Lennar Urban that provides the largest creation of affordable housing of any new development in the city’s history.
Under the agreement, a total of approximately 3,500 new homes that are affordable to very low-income and working families will be constructed in the Hunters Point Shipyard – Candlestick Point and throughout District 10. The vast majority will be constructed as part of the mixed-use development project; in addition, Lennar has committed $27.3 million to provide hundreds more affordable homes throughout District 10. Lennar has also agreed to provide $8.5 million for workforce training. Labor, ACORN and SFOP have endorsed Proposition G on the June 3rd ballot and are recommending a no vote on a rival measure, Proposition F.
“We looked at Proposition G carefully and did our homework,” said Tim Paulson, Executive of the San Francisco Labor Council. “This is the best deal for working families, for the Bayview community and for the city of San Francisco. Proposition G offers real jobs, real hope and a true vision for Bayview-Hunters Point. At the end of the day, Proposition F represents a dead end that would subvert a decade of community planning. It is meant to repel progress, not encourage it, and would set a bad precedent for San Francisco.”
“We look forward to working with Lennar, the Citizens Advisory Committee, and the Project Area Committee in a progressive partnership to ensure that the needs of the Bayview community are addressed,” added Paulson.
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