Austin KlarVanguard Properties · Lawyer Turned Real Estate Agent

San Francisco's Housing Law Just Backfired

Name: San Francisco's Housing Law Just Backfired
Uploaded: 2026-04-05T00:00:52+00:00
Duration: 55 s
Channel: Austin Klar
Description: In this commentary, Austin Klar explains how San Francisco's newly adopted family zoning ordinance, which mandates a minimum of 50 housing units per…

5 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this commentary, Austin Klar explains how San Francisco's newly adopted family zoning ordinance, which mandates a minimum of 50 housing units per acre, has upended Related California's plan to convert the former St. Anne's Home at 300 Lake Street into roughly 100 mixed-use homes (single‑family, townhomes, and condos). The law would require about 300 units on the site, making the original financial model untenable and forcing the developer to scrap the proposal and return to the drawing board. Klar highlights the tension between the city’s goal of higher density and the risk of delaying or jeopardizing new housing supply, invites viewer opinions, and encourages followers for future San Francisco real‑estate updates.

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San Francisco's new zoning plan might have unintentionally killed a major housing development in an area that desperately needs more units. Related California had been in process of purchasing the former St. Anne's Home at 300 Lake Street that closed in 2025 with the intention of turning it into 100 new homes, a mix of single-family, townhomes, and condos, except the family zoning plan that recently passed requires a minimum of 50 units per acre, which means about 300 units at a minimum for a site this big. And that change in law completely altered the financial profile of the development that they were planning. So they've had to go back to the drawing board and cancel their plans, although it still sounds like they're working on a potential proposal for the site. Obviously, it's good that more units are required at a site like this, but we also don't want to prolong or jeopardize the building of new units at all. So I'm looking forward to seeing something progress here and more units get built. Let me know what you think in the comments and follow me for more San Francisco real estate.