San Francisco's Below Market Rate Housing Is Out Of Reach For Many
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- San Francisco Acting Mayor London Breed took to Facebook to promote a new affordable unit and the Mayor's Office of Housing.
Breed's post advertises an 800-square-foot Below Market Rate unit in Pacific Heights going for just under $400,000.
READ MORE: CBS SF Below Market Rate Housing Coverage
We've been reporting on the BMR program for months now, exposing cheaters, unfair advantages, and a system seemingly out of touch with reality.
It's hard to qualify for. A family of four looking to qualify cannot make more than $92,250 a year.
People commented on Breed's Facebook post, saying the program "needs attention" and is "unrealistic."
Others wrote "Madam Mayor you must be joking" and that "$92,250 a year is barely enough for food, clothing and PG&E."
A family of four in San Francisco making less than that amount is considered in the low-income range.
"We use the area median income based on what the federal guidelines are," Breed said.
But the federal guidelines are actually more lenient than the Mayor's Office of Housing. HUD would allow families to make up to $105,350 to qualify for this unit.
The late Mayor Ed Lee promised to pay closer attention to this program in response to our reports. Now, Acting Mayor Breed says she too is open to change.
"If there are changes we need to make in order to make it realistic for the people who need it most, I'm happy to look into that and to do so," Breed said.
The Mayor's Office of Housing states its numbers come from HUD's website.
But HUD's numbers are much more forgiving than the city's.
This is not the first time we have found mistakes, or misinformation on the city's website when it comes to affordable housing numbers.
It remains to be seen just how many qualifying applicants will apply for the unit.