The SF Bay Area Association of Renters is for people who believe that San Francisco’s affordable housing crisis can be mitigated by increasing the supply of housing at all price levels.
We support the construction of high density housing in all San Francisco neighborhoods. San Francisco is a successful, growing city. We are proud that people from all over the world want to live here. To ensure that the current residents can continue to afford to live in San Francisco, and aren’t “pushed out,” it is necessary to build as many new housing units as possible.
SF BAAR writes letters to planners and elected officials. You peruse the list of open letters, and sign the letters supporting the projects you like. Then SFBAAR sends the letter to the appropriate planner.
SFBAAR also compiles a list of upcoming hearings and meetings. You peruse the list of hearings, and meet other renters at the meetings. We attend neighborhood meetings and variance hearings, to demonstrate support for new, dense residential construction in all SF neighborhoods.
These methods may seem milquetoast, even pointless. However, Neighborhood groups do stop development. The only people that go to the meetings are either opposed to the project, or employees of the developer. Renters, who would benefit from incresed supply, aren't represented. SFBAAR wants to organize renters just enough so that 5 - 8 renters can show up at the relevant meetings, introduce ourselves to the officials, and let them know that there are residents that want new building. Then after that we can go get drinks or something in the neighborhood.
Letters may seem to have very little effect, but guess what has actual Zero effect: liking an article about the high price of housing on Facebook, or complaining about high rent at a bar. I promise, dear Reader, you have done both of these things. Their lack of effect didn't stop you, so don't let the apparently slight effect of signing a letter stop you now. Sign an Open Letter now.
Go to Open Letters to sign the current letters.
We will email you when it is time to sign a letter or go to a meeting.
or
Go directly to our message board and sign yourself up: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/sfbarentersfed