I'm not sure San Francisco is seen as a shining example of affordability these days. Taking someone from a city that is plagued with similar problems as us doesn't really seem like a good idea, especially since their efforts have obviously not been successful in making housing more affordable.
It sounds like he's pretty good with public consultation and the like, but I'm not sure he's the guy to bring the right action from a city planning perspective to help affordability; will he able to get the amount and type of development necessary to bring housing costs down in this city? I guess only time will tell.