The death of activist and affordable housing developer John Elberling this month (opens in new tab) at age 79 marked the end of an era.
Progressives praised Elberling for his skill at extracting concessions from developers, while critics painted him as an obstructionist. All sides acknowledged that he was one of the strongest voices pushing a progressive response to the housing crisis — fees on developers, mandates for affordable units, taxes on high-end sales — in recent decades.
Now, YIMBY-aligned officials are moving to dismantle the system he helped build, arguing that the city should cut red tape to build market-rate housing taller and faster. The fight over what comes next may determine what kind of city San Francisco becomes and who can afford to live here…