The decision by the State of California to build 372 affordable housing units on the site of the dilapidated DMV office on Fell Street is a huge deal.
It’s no surprise that Mayor London Breed would like to take credit; same for Gov. Gavin Newsom.
But the reality is a bit different. This project happened not because of Newsom or Breed but because Sup. Dean Preston and Assemblymember Phil Ting pushed for it.
From Preston’s Office:
I’m very thankful for Supervisor Preston’s leadership in bringing this affordable housing opportunity to my attention. I facilitated a meeting between him and state agencies to discuss the future of the Fell Street site. Without his and his staff’s work, this project would not have moved forward. I also want to thank the DMV and their leadership for quickly pivoting from a plan to rebuild their office to one that provides critical and much needed affordable housing. This project demonstrates the incredible work that can happen when local and state governments work together,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).
“Since we called for this site in the heart of District 5 to be converted to large-scale affordable housing, Assemblymember Ting brought state officials together to make it happen,” said Supervisor Preston. “This shows what can happen when local and state leaders work together to ensure that our affordable housing needs are met. I’m grateful for the partnership, and thrilled that we will be adding 372 units of affordable housing to our district on this state owned land.”
That’s happened at a time when Breed has blocked affordable housing at two key sites in District Five over what can only be called petty politics.
The DMV has been talking for some time about replacing that 1960s-era office building with a newer, more modern office.
In 2022, realizing that the project included no housing, Preston got the supes to pass a resolution calling on the state to build affordable housing on the site.
In 2023, the state asked for proposals and an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act for a project that amounted to nothing more than a new DMV building and parking lot.
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If you look at the document, there’s no mention of any housing.
Preston contacted Ting, and they worked together to meet with state officials and argue that the parking lot in an area served will by transit is the perfect place for affordable housing.
The mayor can try to take all the credit she wants, but this isn’t a city project; the State of California has contracted with the developers. And it’s going to happen not because Breed did anything at all—she didn’t—to push for housing there but because Preston, whose opponents say he is “anti-housing,” worked with Ting to make it happen.
Just for the record.
