D
aniel Lurie, leading mayoral candidate in San Francisco's election, has outlined plans to boost home development. As the only contender with experience developing housing, he aims to jumpstart construction through a strategic approach. According to the San Francisco Business Times, Lurie led Mayor London Breed by 56.34% to 43.66% at last count.

    Lurie's nonprofit, Tipping Point, has successfully developed affordable housing projects in the past. In 2021, it partnered with Mercer Housing and the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund to build a 145-unit supportive housing complex in South of Market. The project was completed in 33 months for $377,000 per unit, significantly faster and cheaper than comparable projects.

    As mayor, Lurie plans to exempt multifamily projects from city transfer taxes and implement economic policies to spur development. This includes temporarily lowering affordable housing requirements and fees for market-rate apartment developments. He also proposes launching an "approvals tracker" to monitor permits and entitlements, as well as creating a San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation to gather business, government, and civic leaders.

    Lurie's campaign has focused on middle-income housing, particularly for public servants who struggle to afford living in San Francisco. To finance workforce housing, he suggests using public-sector tools such as Joint Powers Authorities or partnering with the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority.