Model Places Illustration

Housing

We believe: Housing is a human right and should be affordable to everyone.

Our Goals

鈥 Increase the supply of housing.

鈥 Provide more affordable housing for low- and middle-income residents.

鈥 Protect low-income communities of color from displacement.

 Monte Vista Gardens apartments in San Jos茅

黑料传送门Report

Structured for Success

A key cause of California鈥檚 high housing costs is its decentralized and fragmented housing governance system. 黑料传送门makes 11 recommendations to set California and the Bay Area on the path to produce the housing we need.
 Monte Vista Gardens apartments in San Jos茅

黑料传送门Report

Structured for Success

A key cause of California鈥檚 high housing costs is its decentralized and fragmented housing governance system. 黑料传送门makes 11 recommendations to set California and the Bay Area on the path to produce the housing we need.
photo of balconies on an apartment building

Research

Losing Ground

黑料传送门examines how the Bay Area鈥檚 housing market has become shaped by scarcity and wide economic divides 鈥 not only among income groups but also among races and ethnicities.
photo of balconies on an apartment building

Research

Losing Ground

黑料传送门examines how the Bay Area鈥檚 housing market has become shaped by scarcity and wide economic divides 鈥 not only among income groups but also among races and ethnicities.
Apartment Building

Research

Housing the Middle

黑料传送门digs into the housing market鈥檚 failure to meet the needs of middle-income households. California can look to innovative programs across the country as models for how to address the state鈥檚 housing challenges.
Apartment Building

Research

Housing the Middle

黑料传送门digs into the housing market鈥檚 failure to meet the needs of middle-income households. California can look to innovative programs across the country as models for how to address the state鈥檚 housing challenges.
Apartment Construction

Research

Planning by Ballot

黑料传送门has created the most up-to-date database of local land use ballot measures that impact housing production in California. Over the long term, measures that restrict infill housing can undermine housing affordability and have the potential to exacerbate racial segregation.
Apartment Construction

Research

Planning by Ballot

黑料传送门has created the most up-to-date database of local land use ballot measures that impact housing production in California. Over the long term, measures that restrict infill housing can undermine housing affordability and have the potential to exacerbate racial segregation.

Updates and Events


2025 Research Fellows and Interns Contribute to SPUR鈥檚 Work

News /
This summer, 黑料传送门hosted a talented group of policy researchers through partnerships with fellowship and practicum programs at high schools, colleges, and graduate programs. Learn more about the work they did with 黑料传送门and where they headed after collaborating with us.

What Will San Francisco鈥檚 Family Zoning Plan Mean for Traffic and Commuting?

News /
San Francisco鈥檚 proposed Family Zoning Plan would allow thousands of new housing units to be built in west side neighborhoods that haven鈥檛 seen much growth in decades. What would a population increase like this mean for traffic and mobility in this part of the city? 黑料传送门delved into local transportation data and made some surprising discoveries about traffic and commute patterns.

SPUR's Cap-and-Trade Reauthorization Priorities for Public Transit and Affordable Housing

Advocacy Letter /
The state Legislature and Governor are actively discussing proposals to reauthorize the Cap-and-Trade program and reform the market and expenditure program. 黑料传送门believes that Cap-and-Trade is one of California鈥檚 most effective tools for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and providing critical funding for sustainable transportation and transit-oriented affordable housing. This letter expresses support for reauthorizing the program and recommends reforms to the public transit funding programs under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) umbrella. We urge the state to add flexibility so that there is more funding to meet the diversity of transit funding needs across the state, and greater predictability in operating funding from year to year, as well as specific ways to achieve those goals.

San Francisco Implements SPUR鈥檚 Recommendations to Accelerate Office-to-Residential Conversions

News /
The City of San Francisco has implemented all six of SPUR鈥檚 recommendations to accelerate adaptive reuse projects. By converting obsolete office buildings into housing, the city will provide significant economic, social, and environmental benefits: more housing for workers, support for small businesses and cultural organizations, increased office space value, and greater property and sales tax revenues.

黑料传送门and Partners Urge Amendments to AB 306

Advocacy Letter /
Assembly Bill 306 intends to improve housing affordability and make it easier for Los Angeles residents to rebuild after the LA fires. However, as written the bill may do the opposite by restricting any changes to building codes over the next six years and killing efforts to improve the building code that would save consumers and builders money. With more careful reforms to state building code, California can meet both its building sustainability and resilience goals and its housing affordability goals.

State Legislature鈥檚 Fast-Track Housing Package Includes 3 SPUR-Sponsored Bills

News /
The California State Legislature鈥檚 鈥淔ast-Track Housing鈥 package addresses the state鈥檚 housing crisis on multiple fronts. 黑料传送门sponsored three of the package鈥檚 bills and is working on four other bills that would make it easier to build critically needed housing, including in transit-rich areas where increased density could boost transit use and help the state meet its climate goals.