Jordan vs. Jordan: Candidate Promises, Citizen Mayor Delivers?

Comments (0) By Larry Bush Wednesday, Jun 21 1995

As a candidate in 1991, Frank Jordan took issue with then-Mayor Art Agnos over the issue of affordable housing. In a campaign questionnaire, he wrote:

"[Agnos'] definition of affordable housing as untis for individuals incomes of $45,000 and up is in my opinion unacceptable and fails to address the real housing needs of city residents. My definition of affordable housing is housing designed for occupancy by the residents and workers of this city who are being frozen out of the market by a scarcity of housing stock that is within their current financial reach."

Jordan's then-fiancee, Wendy Paskin, didn't abide by this stricture. In 1991, while earning a Wells Fargo income of more than $100,000 a year, Paskin claimed the right to purchase a 990 Union condominium that had been reserved by the Planning Commission for moderate-income buyers. The two-bedroom condo was priced at $109,000 - similar units in the building carried a market price of up to $300,000. Paskin sued to win ownership of the unit and settled the case on Election Day 1991. Today, the Paskin-Jordans rent the unit at market rate, not at the affordable-rents rate, and thus add to "a scarcity of housing that is within" reach.

Next week: Jordan on police staffing.