Home Builders’ Association of Northern California Opens Urban Division
San Francisco Office To Focus on Infill, Multi-Family Development Issues
San Francisco, CA – May 1, 2008 – The Home Builders Association of Northern the Bay Area ’s largest association of home builders and a noted source of public information on home buying issues that affect the public, has opened an urban division at 660 Mission Street in San Francisco.
“We have opened a new urban division with an office in San Francisco to address – in part – the city ‘s initiatives toward higher density housing,”said Joseph Perkins, HBANC President &CEO.”Policy issues that impact urban builders are unique to environments like San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose where there’s a premium on space. Infill,mixed -use, multi-family, and transit-oriented development is the preferred method of growing our supply of Since we are also a source for consumers to learn about current housing issues, it makes sense for us to be in the city.”
The new division’s goals are also synergistic with San Francisco’s own Building Inspection Commissio’s move to adopt the greenest building codes in the country by 2012. Urban infill is compatible with the concept of green building – by reducing land acquisition needs, Bay Area counties can focus legislative efforts on cleaning up former military bases and toxic sites, and reducing people ’s transit requirements shrinks overall energy consumption.
There’s widespread support among Bay Area residents for the concept of infill, as evidenced by HBANC’s 2007 Housing Survey.However, neighborhood interest groups often oppose development that would help achieve goals set forth by dense housing advocates like the Urban Land Institute or the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association. HBANC ’s new urban division will coalesce those efforts, and help to educate the public on the positive consequences of infill. Mixed-use and residential construction in close proximity to jobs or mass transit delivers positive environmental and lifestyle benefits as it reinvigorates our cities with new population centers.
“The move is very significant,”said Kate White,executive director of the Urban Land Institute ’s San Francisco chapter.“The new urban division supports the growing recognition by Bay Area city planning departments that future development in our region must include more compact, higher density, multi-family,urban infill.”
In celebration of the new urban division, the association is holding a launch party at the Ritz Carlton, San Francisco on May 15th, to be presi ded over by Cheryl O ’Connor, HBANC Chairwoman.
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About the Home Builders Association of Northern California
The Home Builders Association of Northern California is a non-profit association whose membership comprises nearly 1,000 homebuilders, trade contractors, suppliers and industry professionals in the Bay Area. HBANC links the individual member to the entire industry by providing information, educational and technical services, as well as networking opportunities through meetings and special events. Responding to the varied specialties within the home building industry, HBANC also has individual councils and committees that address issues from our members ’ unique perspectives.The organization represents 14 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma.
President & CEO Joseph Perkins oversees a staff of 15 professionals in three offices.HBANC ’s board of directors and officers is elected annu ally. The 2008 Chairwoman is Cheryl O ’Connor of SummerHill Homes.
Please visit www.hbanc.org for more information.
