S.F.'s Real Estate Wars Go Statewide
With housing and development issues ranking among the top concerns for San Francisco residents, it’s no wonder the bid to represent the city in Sacramento is nothing short of a “real estate war” at the ballot box.
Supervisor Jane Kim fired another round in a new attack ad accusing her competitor and fellow Democratic city supervisor Scott Wiener of being in the pocket of landlords. The five-second spot paid for by Supervisor Kim's campaign also accuses her competitor of doing Chevron’s bidding.
Wiener has taken a more pro-development agenda in office, seeking to accelerate the expansion of housing stock—the thinking being that more supply will decrease prices.
Kim was instrumental in bringing tech companies such as Twitter to S.F.’s Mid-Market in 2011 by offering tax incentives. She has struck a more populist tone in recent months, however. The supervisor was one of the key backers of the move to increase the affordable housing allotment of new projects to 25%.
Community activist and founder of SF Bay Area Renters' Federation Sonja Trauss said at a Bisnow event that “anti-developer” initiatives will exacerbate the housing crisis.
