Has Surplus Property Ordinance Become Another Empty Promise?

When the Surplus Property Ordinance passed the Board of Supervisors, homeless and low-income advocates celebrated a victory they thought would have immediate results, and quickly began figuring out the best way enact the ordinance.

150 Otis, an 18,769 square foot building used for years by the city for storage, quickly became a priority for these advocates. The site could provide up to 120 units of supportive housing for formerly homeless people, representing a significant contribution to solving homelessness in San Francisco.

However, these advocates soon discovered they faced a major roadblock to converting the site – the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH). Despite public support from Human Services director Trent Roher for turning the building into supportive housing, MOH argued that the city should sell the building instead.

The issue came before the Surplus Property Ordinance’s Community Advisory Council (CAC) last October. Created to allow city residents to play a role in the ordinance’s implementation, the CAC consists of a variety of stakeholders and city government representatives.

The CAC voted unanimously to convert 150 Otis into housing for the homeless, a vote that many thought would end the issue. MOH, however, chose to ignore the vote, claiming that the CAC merely represented an advisory body and could not overrule MOH’s original decision.

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