Organized Labor: To Meet Its Goals, SF Must Get Real About Labor Standards, Affordable Housing

Their ideas about ways forward differ in some cases, but housing rights nonprofits and tenants’ associations throughout the City agree on one thing: Building and construction trades unions will be essential to a successful execution of the Housing Element. Leaders from these groups spoke at length about the plan and how they felt the City would best be able to meet its goals.

The Housing Element’s stated goal of 82,000 new residential units built by 2031 is promoted by conversations that help tenants learn the value of union work and the housing needs of union members.

The City’s effort to build more housing will lead the way for other Bay Area cities. The obstacles for all Bay Area housing elements do not vanish beyond city and county limits, said Abram Diaz, Policy Director for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH).

A membership organization based in SF, NPH represents thousands of individuals and organizations, including affordable housing developers, advocates, community leaders, and businesses. “As we collectively move forward toward construction of the 82,000 homes — and especially the 46,000 affordable homes specifically for our low-income and vulnerable community members — we need to extend conversations past San Francisco,” said Diaz.

Read the full article here.