The Policy Analysis intern will produce a report on the current commercial and retail real estate conditions in San Francisco, and provide policy recommendations that can be made to developers, landowners, and the City itself.

The San Francisco Economic Development Alliance (SFEDA) is a nonprofit collaborative that represents the interests of locally-serving small businesses, many of which are minority-owned, woman-owned, low income, legacy businesses, and start-up businesses that are feeling pressure from the ever-tightening commercial real estate market to relocate due to rising rents, or close up shop completely. Simultaneously, many new residential housing developments are being constructed across the City and are mixed-use properties, providing ground floor retail opportunities as well as increased housing and foot traffic.

Although this new retail frontage only represents a small portion of developers’ real estate portfolio, the price per square foot nevertheless remains out of reach for many long-standing, neighborhood-serving businesses. The Policy Analysis Intern will assess the current conditions, and offer remedies such as incentives and recommendations using data from the Bay Area and other cities in the report that can be looked to as a guide for retaining and proliferating small business ownership in San Francisco.