Why it makes sense for stakeholders to sue the city for failing its affordable housing goals The Housing Element numbers are really funky and don’t make sense—and under Breed’s Administration, there may be no other option. Why it makes sense for stakeholders to sue the city for failing its affordable housing goals  

New SF Board of Supervisors President Peskin Surprise! Aaron Peskin is the new Board of Supes president    

New study shows private market can’t create workforce housing in SF The city’s own analysis shows that the entire Yimby narrative is based on a fundamental economic falsehood. The city could radically cut affordable-housing requirements, and the private market still won’t build anything other than super-luxury condos and apartments. New study shows private market can’t…

Breed Ordered Homeless Sweeps Without Warning New Evidence Shows From a declaration by Keki Marshall, former director of outreach and temporary shelter at the Department of Homelessness: Mayor Breed sent to staff to remove unhoused people from sight. She would order us to displace unhoused people by a certain date and time just because they…

Legal Advice and Referral Clinic 12/16, 4-6 pm, UC Hastings Upcoming Hastings & Bayview LARC Clinic Attorneys will give 30-minute consultations in housing/tenant questions, immigration, family law, personal injury, contracts, debt collection/bankruptcy, and some miscellaneous issues. Hastings LARC is happening in December on the 16th, 4 – 6 pm: Clients have the option to participate…

New Director of Operations and Activism for the SFTU! We are excited to have Roisin Isner start working on November 28, 2022 as the San Francisco Tenants Union’s Director of Activism and Operations. Welcome, Roisin!

With Bay Area housing construction stalled, developers look to squeeze more units into existing projects https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/housing-density-construction-17560033.php J.K. Dineen Nov. 5, 2022 In San Francisco real estate agency Tishman Speyer is looking to increase the density at 655 Fourth St. — the former site of the Creamery, a popular tech hangout in the 2010s — by…

The supes races are showing the impact of the corrupt redistricting process        

Two types of eviction are rising in San Francisco. Advocates fear there’s ‘something else going on’ https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/eviction-notices-san-francisco-17553841.php Danielle Echeverria, Susie Neilson Nov. 3, 2022 A year after the state’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium expired, the number of eviction notices filed in San Francisco has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, a Chronicle analysis found. Data from the San Francisco…

CA Rent Gouging Protections Until 2/27/23 For residential units not covered under the SF Rent Ordinance nor CA rent control, there is a limit on rent increases due to the state of emergency throughout California for extreme heat wave until 2/27/23. California Penal Code Section 396(c): It is unlawful for a contractor to sell or…

Retired judge files state Bar complaint against DA Brooke Jenkins A retired Superior Court judge who lives in San Francisco has filed a detailed complaint with the state Bar Association claiming that District Attorney Brooke Jenkins lied about her work for supporters of the Chesa Boudin recall. https://48hills.org/2022/10/retired-judge-files-state-bar-complaint-against-da-brooke-jenkins

Fall ballot measures will test the mayor and her allies A series of grassroots ballot initiatives for the fall will test the direction of San Francisco politics on a much greater level than the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin—and will force Mayor London Breed to make clear political choices a year before she (maybe)…

Big Money Behind the YIMBY Ballot Measure D The Yes on D campaign has raised more than $1 million, and the donors are a Who’s Who of the local tech and real-estate plutocracy. Ron Conway, who has in the past tried to dominate San Francisco politics and was a huge supporter of Mayor’s Ed Lee…

ARE YIMBYS THE NEW PROGRESSIVES? AHEM. Are yimbys the new progressives? Only in a bizarre Wonderland  

Corporate landlords used aggressive tactics to push out tenants The findings add data and detail to a growing body of reporting — and mounting complaints — about investor landlords, including concerns that they are fueling skyrocketing rents amid a historic shortage of affordable housing. NPR Article

10 Day Warning Notice Before Eviction for Nonpayment Overruled The San Francisco Apartment Association and Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute as represented by Andrew Zacks sued the City and County of San Francisco, Case No.: CPF-22-517718, to overrule the San Francisco Rent Ordinance 18-22.  San Francisco Rent Ordinance 18-22 would have required landlords…

Mayor’s Office defies law on requiring maximum affordable housing The Mayor’s Office and the Planning Department are ignoring a 2017 city law that requires an analysis of whether developers who are getting zoning benefits can pay for more affordable housing. The author of that legislation was then-Sup. London Breed. Mayor’s Office defies law on requiring…

Judge Orders CA Dept of Housing & Community Development to Stop Denying Rental Assistance Applications Until Further Review The court agreed that the CA Dept Of Housing & Community Development (HCD) denied applications without meaningful explanation or a transparent appeals process… Good News! ERAP Lawsuit: Judge Orders CA Dept Of Housing & Community Development (HCD)…

Ellis Act Increase in Relocation Payment The Ellis Act legislation has been amended in San Francisco to include higher relocation payments since the City’s Budget and Legislative Analyst issued a report confirming that the previous relocation payments did not cover the adverse impacts of being displaced by the Ellis Act. Starting September 1, 2022, the…

New Local Eviction Protections Beginning July 1, 2022 Information from the SF Anti-Displacement Coalition (which includes the SF Tenants Union): While the last of the state COVID eviction protections expire today, that means our stronger local protections can go into effect! In March of this year, we passed an ordinance extending the local eviction moratorium…

Historic Affordable Housing Package for SF From the Anti-Displacement Coalition (includes the SF Tenants Union) and Supervisors Preston and Ronen (endorsed by the SF Tenants Union): Last night, the Supervisors struck a deal with the Mayor’s office to fund a big portion of the Prop I housing package that we have been fighting for. The…

Tens of Thousands Vulnerable to Eviction as California Protections Poised to End Housing researchers warn July 1 could mark the beginning of an eviction wave Roughly two years, multiple eviction moratoriums and over $3.6 billion in rent-relief payments after tenant advocates began worrying COVID-19 hardships would push thousands of renters out of their homes in…

State’s Housing Goals Would Require Massive Demolition and Evictions If San Francisco is going to rely on private for-profit developers to build most of its new affordable housing through inclusionary mandates, the amount of new market-rate housing will have to more than triple what state currently requires. San Francisco won’t meet the Regional Housing Needs…

New Handbooks Are Here The twenty-first edition of the San Francisco Tenants Union Tenants Rights are here. Join or renew to get the latest information on your tenant rights in San Francisco.

Housing Justice Groups Demand Mayor Breed Use Prop I Funds For Affordable Housing as Intended The Anti-Displacement Coalition (which includes the San Francisco Tenants Union) called on Mayor Breed to use Prop I funds which were intended by the voters for affordable housing. From Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco: At a hearing this month,…

Boudin Recall Based on Media Mythology The “crime wave.” The “unsafe city.” There’s no reality here—but it’s creating a dangerous political narrative, with the SF cops the big winners. The Boudin recall is entirely based on local media mythology. They should own it.  

City report shows that upzoning neighborhoods won’t create more affordable housing The heart of the Yimby approach to housing—and the crux of what the state now wants cities to do—is upzoning. More density; less restrictions on developers. At a Planning Commission hearing in 2017, (starts at 2:11) the director of Yimby Action said that the…

San Francisco Redistricting Task Force Votes to Split Tenderloin and SoMA SF redistricting map approved; splits Tenderloin, SoMa Upcoming Task Force Meetings This Week (Agenda’s found here): The San Francisco Tenants Union is part of the Community Unity Map Coalition.  

Protection from Eviction for COVID-related Nonpayment of Rent After 3/31/22 Overridden Assembly Bill 2179 stopped this legislation: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed (therefore can override a mayor veto) Supervisor Dean Preston’s legislation that would have covered April 2022 rent and each month thereafter through the end of the COVID emergency, making COVID-related…

Nonpayment of COVID-Related Rent After 3/31/22 The new SF program through sferap.com may be approving rental assistance for rent due after March 2022. Check for updates for eviction protections. Nonpayment of Rent After March 2020 to March 2022 Assembly Bill 2179 passed so those who applied for rent relief before March 31 will be able…

10-Day Eviction Warning Legislation on Hold Landlords have sued to stop the 10-day warning legislation before eviction that was passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This legislation is on hold: Supervisor Dean Preston’s legislation extending a 10 day waiting period after 3 day notices before a landlord can file an Unlawful Detainer (court…

Eviction Notices If for any reason a tenant receives eviction papers, they should immediately contact the Eviction Defense Collaborative at (415) 659-9184 or legal@evictiondefense.org to be connected with a City-funded attorney from our Tenant Right to Counsel Program. A full list of resources is available at https://sf.gov/information/covid-19-emergency-tenant-protections.

Eviction Protections Flow Chart Update: If Assembly Bill 2179 passes (vote expected 3/31/22) then those who applied for rent relief before March 31 will be able to stay in their homes until at least July 1. (Emergency COVID protections are in place until June 30.) However, Assembly Bill 2179 would override the local eviction moratorium.…

Right-To-Organize Passed by SF Supervisors The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance requiring landlords to recognize the right of tenants in buildings with at least five units to organize. The ordinance, introduced by Supervisor Aaron Peskinin October of last year, also requires that landlords or a representative meet with the associations up…

TAX ON VACANT APARTMENTS A report published last week by the Board of Supervisors Budget and Legislative Analyst showed that one of every ten residential units in San Francisco—more than 40,000 homes—is vacant. With more than 8,000 unhoused persons in the city, this means that there are more than four times more empty homes than…

Veritas Strikers Win Groundbreaking Concessions and Vote to End 5 Month Debt Strike SAN FRANCISCO — The Veritas Tenants Association (VTA) — the statewide tenant union for Veritas tenants throughout California — has issued the following statement to mark the end of their five-month debt strike to win a fair rent-relief agreement that minimizes reliance…

Rent Increase Limitation If Not Covered Under SF/CA Rent Control Through April 16, 2022 For rental units not covered under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance nor California rent control including when the master tenant leaves (California Civil Code Section 1954.53(d)(2)), a rent increase is often allowed. However, the state of emergency in California limits the…

Veritas Investments Announces New Program to Forgive Uncovered Portions of Back-Rent Owed by Residential Tenants Veritas Investments — SF’s largest landlord, which owns and manages some 250 residential properties in the city — announced this week it will not require tenants to pay their overdue rent caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In what’s being described…

100% Low-Income Housing to Be Built in SF Up to 300 100% low-income units will be built at 1979 Mission Street near 16th St in San Francisco starting as early as next year. The “Monster in the Mission” with mostly market-rate housing that had been originally proposed by developer Maximus Real Estate had been opposed…

S.F. tenants made millions after suing landlords over bogus owner move-in evictions https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/S-F-tenants-sued-landlords-over-bogus-owner-16705393.php J.K. Dineen Dec. 16, 2021 Four years after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a bill meant to crack down on bogus owner move-in evictions, the legislation is paying off in a big way — at least for a few fortunate…

Victory: $64 million Budget for Affordable Housing! After our campaign as part of the San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition to have another San Francisco Supervisor support the vote to override Mayor Breed’s likely veto for affordable housing, we won! We want to thank especially Supervisor Preston for his advocacy as well as Supervisors Walton, Peskin, Chan,…

Landlords Deferred Costs During Pandemic An analysis shows that landlords were able to defer costs during Covid-19 to remain in a good financial position, at least in the short term.

Market-Driven Policies Don’t Keep Workers in SF Union workers need more affordable housing, new study shows Collaboration between labor and housing activists shows that current market-driven policies won’t keep workforce in town. The report concludes that the city needs more non-market housing to create new units that will affordable to its workforce. Workers surveyed include…

Removal of Parking, Storage, Other Services Not Allowed with Legislation Approved by the Supervisors Although illegal, landlords have been removing services from tenants that are part of their rental agreement. Some services such as parking are essential for tenants to live in their unit, so the removal of these services can become an illegal eviction.…

Luxury Project Blocked by Progressive Supes The progressive San Francisco Supervisors blocked a huge luxury housing project in SOMA. The more conservative Supervisors Safai and Stefani were joined by Supervisor Haney who is running for California District 17 Assembly with the support of the building trade and at least some YIMBYs. The debate shows city…

Sued for Pandemic Rent Debt? Here’s What You Need to Know Information from our allies Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco: If your landlord has filed a suit in small claims court to recover rent debt from 3/2020 through 10/2021, check out this Public Press article with tips from Eviction Defense Collaborative and other tenant…

“No-Fault” Eviction Ban (Except Ellis Act) Through 2021 For evictions other than non-payment of rent, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed Ord. No. 210963, which was an extension of previous legislation, that prohibits the eviction of residential tenants through 2021, unless the eviction is based on the non-payment of rent (in which case the nonpayment…

Stay Housed by Facing Down the Eviction Wave https://www.sfpublicpress.org/how-sf-renters-can-face-down-the-eviction-wave-and-stay-housed ‘Pay or quit’ notice To begin the eviction process for rent due during the pandemic, a landlord must send a tenant a “pay or quit” notice, giving them at least three days to pay what is owed — or move out. When a tenant gets the…

Job Opening: Director of Operations and Activism The SFTU prides itself on being a volunteer-driven organization where community members come together to define and advocate for their shared interests as tenants.  The Director of Operations and Activism will support the volunteer-led committee system to function effectively, maintain the operations of the organization, and act as…

CDC Eviction Moratorium Blocked by Supreme Court The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order that extended the federal eviction moratorium through October 3, 2021, but the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the order effective immediately. However, California still has an eviction ban for unpaid rent due to COVID through September 2021.

Rental Relief is Here – Apply Now! Emergency Rental Assistance Congress secured $46.5 billion to protect renters and landlords in the American Rescue Plan and last year’s year-end funding bill – including over $5 billion for California and over $182 million for San Francisco.  If you are struggling to make rent due to the pandemic,…

Evictions Jump as Sheriff Lifts Pause Imposed in December The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office evicted 25 households in the two weeks of June after the state reopened for business, more than double the monthly average over the previous six months.

Eviction Defense Gets Funding Boost Back in 2018, San Francisco voters passed the country’s first ballot measure requiring the universal right to counsel for tenants facing eviction. But the approved measure, known as Proposition F, didn’t immediately live up to its full promise, covering two-thirds of eligible tenants. About half of them received limited representation.…

San Franciscans on minimum wage need to work 4.9 jobs to make rent A report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition released Wednesday highlights how hard, if not impossible, living in San Francisco has become for those not bringing in three figure salaries. And even then, making rent isn’t easy.

Tenants Want Lasting Change With the end of a federal moratorium on evictions fast-approaching, some renters are looking beyond immediate relief funds for what they see as more lasting solutions to the U.S. affordable housing crisis. California has no recovery plan for Latinx immigrant tenants stripped of wealth in the pandemic It’s worrisome enough that…

Budget Victories for 2021 From Jennifer Friedenbach with Coalition on Homelessness: Our budget campaign “Our City, Our Budget” to house San Franciscans, keep San Franciscans housed, and protect the civil and human rights of those forced to remain on the streets, has come to fruition. Due to hard work and organizing, many historic victories were…

Mayor Breed Under Pressure from the Supervisors Agrees to Prop I Funding for Rent Relief The pandemic and economic recession have left thousands of San Francisco tenants unable to pay their rent, a burden disproportionately carried by black and brown renters. At the same time, corporate landlords have amassed billions of dollars in wealth that…

California to extend eviction ban, pay back rent for tenants California will ban evictions for unpaid rent due to COVID through the end of September and pay off all back rent for eligible tenants under a deal announced Friday by Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders. Unfortunately, it preempts local protection even if stronger until…

Eviction Moratorium for COVID Nonpayment After June 2021 Preempted by State Law Except as Allowed by the CDC Order State law was extended and preempts the below except the CDC order on 8/3/21 allows for the greater protection of local law through 10/3/21: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors extend the local eviction moratorium for…

Showings in Person Allowed The most recent health order (6/11/21) allows in person showings with masking compliance as required by state or federal law.

New report reveals flaws in State rent relief program 730,000 California households are behind on rent and the statewide eviction moratorium expires on June 30th. A new report reveals deep flaws in the state’s multi-billion dollar rent relief program: http://bit.ly/Preventing_Eviction #NoRenterLeftBehind #RentRelief

Local Rental Assistance Program Open https://sf.gov/renthelp Apply to get help with your rent. Starting May 28, 2021, apply to get up to 3 months’ back and forward rent for a total of 6 months. Cost is free. You can apply online or get help with your application for free through a community partner organization. Rent…

Not one dollar of state rent-relief money has arrived in SF 2131 San Franciscans have applied to the state program, and only 59 applications are even under review. But there still may be some hope. San Francisco’s local program with about $24 million in federal funds is expected to launch at the end of this…

Local Organizations Call for Overhaul of State’s Rent Relief Application Immigrants face confusion and disadvantages in getting funds. The San Francisco Anti Displacement Coalition called for an overhaul of the state’s rent relief program that has been taking applications since March 15. The challenges put residents with limited digital access, such as those with phones…

Ellis Act Reform For information on the reform of the Ellis Act, Assembly Bill 854 (Assemblyman Lee), which has been used to evict long-term senior and disabled tenants to re-rent at higher rents, refer to the sponsor’s factsheet and video. Thursday, April 15, 2021, the Assembly Housing Committee votes on AB 854. Three committee Democrats—Jesse Gabriel…

Prop I Funding Victory! Voters demanded it, and we delivered: The Board of Supervisors approved last week the first round of Prop I funding — more than $20 million — to go to rent relief and permanently affordable, social housing. This is a huge win. Thank you everyone who voted for the ballot measure and…

Supervisors Reject Condos With Evicted Seniors Crucial vote sends a message that a building cleared by the Ellis Act will not get a lucrative permit to convert the units to condos. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors refused to allow the owners of a building where seniors were evicted to win a lucrative permit to…

“No Fault” (Excluding Ellis Act) Eviction Ban Likely Thru June 30, 2021 Evictions for reasons other than nonpayment can proceed only if necessary due to violence, threat of violence, health/safety issues, or Ellis Act. This limit on evictions is set to expire on March 31, 2021 (Ordinance No. 216-20), so starting April 1, evictions not…

Rent Relief Funds The Budget and Finance Committee on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, voted in support of San Francisco Board of Supervisor Dean Preston’s ordinance calling for the release of PROP I funds (5,700,000 for Rent Relief & $5,700,000 for Social Housing) to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The ordinance still needs…

Eviction Protection and Debt Relief (SB 91) Signed by Governor Summary from the San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition (SFADC) Senate Bill (SB) 91 (full text here) contains an extension of Assembly Bill 3088’s eviction moratorium as well as the outlines of a state rental assistance program. Look for updates and more detailed information from SFADC: Eviction…

National Eviction Ban Extended President Biden extended this moratorium through March 2021. The relief comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium was set to expire at the end of the month. More than 14 million Americans — or 1 in 5 adult renters — said recently that they’re not caught up…

San Francisco rent closes out the year down 27% https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/SF-rent-closes-out-the-year-down-27-15845136.php Median rents in San Francisco are at $1,992 for a one-bedroom apartment and $2,305 for a two-bedroom. “After an unprecedented year, rents in San Francisco are down nearly 27% since January, more than any other big city in the nation. The price drop is tied…

SF Housing Inventory Passes By July of 2022, landlords will be required to report to the city every year: The approximate square footage of each residential unit, the date of any vacancies over the past 12 months, and each tenant’s base rent. Failure to comply suspends the right to increase the rent. Why does San…

“Fault” Evictions Not Based on Unpaid Rent Starting December 1, 2020 Starting December 1, 2020, fault evictions not based on unpaid rent may proceed subject to the San Francisco Rent Ordinance. “No fault” residential evictions — including owner move in, capital improvements, and demolition evictions but not including Ellis Act evictions — are banned through…

COVID-19 Housing Protection Legislation & Housing Justice Action Map In a time of turmoil and uncertainty for many tenants, knowledge about rights and protections is crucial for staying housed and safe during the global pandemic. Released in April by the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project (AEMP), COVID-19 Housing Protection Legislation & Housing Justice Action Map is an…

Progressive Majority Win for SF Board of Supervisors Despite millions from Big Tech, Big Real-Estate and GOP backers, the new San Francisco Board of Supervisors will retain a majority of progressives with possibly enough votes to override Mayor Breed’s vetoes. Supervisors for whom we endorsed (as first choice unless noted otherwise) and campaigned won: District…

Unpaid rent due to COVID-19 could be up to $32.7M per month Joshua Sabatini Oct. 26, 2020 6:00 p.m. A new city report that attempts to quantify how much rent has gone unpaid due to the impacts of COVID-19 estimates it could be as much as $32.7 million a month. There are  data limitations, but…

Appeal Withdrawn for No Eviction Due to COVID-19 Related Nonpayment Through 9/30/20 San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston’s Eviction Protection Ordinance was passed by the Board of Supervisors and stops landlords permanently from evicting tenants who can’t pay through September 30, 2020 (unless extended by the Governor) because of COVID-19 related income loss. It doesn’t stop…

Rent Increases Under Rent Ordinance Prohibited Through October 21, 2020 Rent increases under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance are prohibited currently through October 21, 2020.

Rent Increase Limitation If Not Covered Under SF/CA Rent Control When the master tenant leaves, a rent increase is often allowed under California Civil Code Section 1954.53(d)(2). However, the state of emergency in California (downloads as pdf) in effect through at least March 4, 2021, limits the rent increase to 10 percent over costs.

Nonpayment of Rent: Recommended Procedure This is what we recommend for rent nonpayments. Updated for SF eviction extension through September 2021, Senate Bill 91, the September 21, 2020 Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development’s “Temporary Moratorium on Residential Evictions” “Rules and Regulations for Tenants and Landlords” (downloads as a pdf), “Protections for Residential Tenants…

New Report on Causes of Homelessness The Coalition on Homelessness released a dramatic new study that – unlike most reports on the unhoused – relies on data collected directly from the people on the streets. The study, backed by researchers at academic institutions including UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Santa Clara University, surveyed a total of…

Mayor’s Extension for Nonpayment of Rent and Evictions May Be Preempted The federal moratorium of 9/1/20 extends the eviction moratorium and may preempt the state moratorium passed 8/31/20. If allowed to stand, the Mayor’s extension of the order prohibited evictions for nonpayment if the tenant was unable to pay due to financial impacts of COVID-19…

California Politicians Reach Deal on Eviction Protections The San Francisco’s moratorium on evictions is probably preempted by the California lawmakers’ Assembly Bill 3088. The troubling language is “Any extension, expansion, renewal, reenactment, or new adoption of a measure, however delineated, that occurs between August 19, 2020, and January 31, 2021, shall have no effect before…

Construction Prohibited that Results in No Water/Utility or Excessive Noise Emergency ordinance will prohibit construction activities that suspend water or electricity service in buildings with residential rental units exceeding two hours in a single day unless an alternative source is provided. In the event of a water shutoff, an alternative source could include, but not…

Statement of Solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement The San Francisco Tenant Union’s goals for housing justice for everyone can’t come to pass if racism persists; our own goals are linked to the success of the Black Lives Matter movement. As an all volunteer-run and donation-funded organization, we believe in mutual aid and solidarity to…

July Rent Nonpayment Due to COVID-19 6/26/20: Mayor’s Order for Nonpayment of Rent and Evictions On June 26, 2020, the Mayor extended the order prohibiting evictions for nonpayment if the tenant was unable to pay due to financial impacts of COVID-19 between March 13, 2020 and July 31, 2020 until six months after the order…

A Vision for Black Lives The San Francisco Tenants Union supports the goals and objectives of the movement for black lives. See the demands here: https://m4bl.org/policy-platforms We value human lives over property rights, and therefore believe that our role as a society is to focus on addressing these demands.

Alternative Housing Due to COVID-19 The Alternative Housing Program provides emergency, temporary housing and shelter for individuals directly affected by the coronavirus, or at high risk of adverse impacts.

5/19/20: FAQs for Health Order Update p. 10 Can common recreational spaces in apartment buildings (like gyms and roof decks) stay open?For apartment dwellers, the Order’s shelter-in-place requirements for the “household or living unit” means their own apartment unit, not the building or complex as a whole. Indoor common recreational spaces shared with others in…

No Late Fees on Rent Payment Delay Allowed Due to COVID-19 The Mayor’s Order on April 30, 2020 (twelfth supplement) includes no late fees allowed for rent delayed because of COVID-19 financial impact  and due between March 13, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Some subsidized housing are exempt from this order.

Virtual Counseling Although our in-person clinic is closed due to COVID-19, counseling by phone and email is available. Our donations and memberships are greatly reduced in virtual counseling so we are very grateful for the support of the San Francisco Foundation. With more than $1.5 billion in assets, the San Francisco Foundation is one of…

4/30/20 Mayor’s Order for Nonpayment of Rent and Evictions On April 30, the Mayor issued a new order (twelfth supplement) relating to eviction protections for most residential properties (some subsidized housing exempt). It substantially replaces and revises the old protections. Importantly, the new order eliminates the requirement that the tenant provide notice to the landlord…

4/29/20: FAQs for Updated Health Order The San Francisco Health Officer has updated the FAQ for COVID-19: P. 1 Commercial as well as residential real estate transactions are allowed to fully resume, but with continued restrictions on in-person viewings and appointments. [See p. 25] P. 2 All business facilities operating in the County, including businesses…

6/26/20: Mayor’s Order for Nonpayment of Rent and Evictions On June 26, 2020, the Mayor extended the order prohibiting evictions for nonpayment if the tenant was unable to pay due to financial impacts of COVID-19 between March 13, 2020 and July 31, 2020 until six months after the order expires (the eviction cannot occur until…

Eviction Moratorium in SF Extended to 7/22/20 The Mayor has extended the moratorium on evictions for residential tenants except for threats to public safety and Ellis Act evictions (state law) to July 22, 2020. (The order expires May 22, 2020, but the moratorium expires 60 days after the order.) This is in addition to the…

Rent Increases Under Rent Ordinance Prohibited Until June 24, 2020 Rent increases under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance are prohibited currently until June 24, 2020.

FAQs for Shelter-in-Place The San Francisco Health Officer has published an FAQ that addresses some tenant questions such as: Can real estate agents show residences in person? Generally, no. Real estate agents, escrow agents, and other service providers that facilitate residential transactions like home sales and apartment rentals are essential workers, but all appointments and…

Don’t Sign Forbearance Agreement for COVID-19 Nonpayment! 1) Sign nothing for a forbearance agreement for COVID-19 nonpayment. 2) To the absolute best extent possible follow whatever the mayor’s office says to do.  3) Double check what the governor says to do and compare that with what the mayor says to do. When in doubt, do…

No Evictions Thru July Except for Public Safety The Judicial Council just adopted an emergency court rule that effectively stops all new eviction cases, other than those necessary to protect public health and safety, for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. The rule is applicable to all courts and to all eviction cases, whether they…

Handbooks Are Here! Learn Your Rights! The 20th Edition of the San Francisco Tenants Union Handbook, just printed last month, is here! Get more than 300 pages of tenant rights with your membership. Table of Contents

No Documentation Beyond Explanation Required for Nonpayment Moratorium As outlined by the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development’s “Guidance for Tenants and Landlords” regarding inability to pay rent due to the COVID-19 virus, additional documentation is not required beyond an explanation. Fact Sheet and Sample Letter to Landlord in English Sample Letter to Landlord…

3/27 Update on Rent Moratorium from the Mayor The March 27, 2020 update from the Mayor on the moratorium on rent payments has updated rules on missed rent payments.

Supervisors back rent and mortgage payment moratorium The moratorium would forgive all payments to prevent debt accumulation Ida MojadadMar. 24, 2020 San Francisco supervisors joined the call Tuesday to waive all rent and mortgage payments while workers and businesses lose income during the coronavirus shutdown. Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Matt Haney introduced a resolution on…

Updated Mayor’s Order for COVID-19’s Impact on Tenants The Mayor has issued another order which adds: Clarity that it also applies to affordable housing providers who are exempt from the Rent Ordinance because their rent is controlled or regulated by the City. (1(a)) A step before the landlord can just start a non-payment proceeding after…

Eviction Actions Delayed Unless Threat of Harm to Others The Court has stayed eviction actions (motions, discovery, and trials) effective today for 90 days unless it is a case of violence, threat of violence or threat to health and safety of others. The Court has asked the Chief Justice to declare a Court “holiday” vis…

Sheriff calls off evictions during citywide shelter-in-place order Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said his deputies would not immediately move forward with any evictions in response to the shelter-in-place orders issued in San Francisco and six nearby counties. “Our office is going to be postponing all the evictions that we have scheduled and any upcoming evictions that…

Phone Counseling Instead of Clinic Due to the COVID-19 virus, we are temporarily closing our in-person counseling. Members are advised to use their members-only phone counseling number. Non-members are advised to follow the instructions on http://www.sftu.org/drop-in-clinic.

MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS RELATED TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 13, 2020 Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, 415-554-6131 *** PRESS RELEASE *** MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS RELATED TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC Order will go into effect immediately to prevent evictions of any resident who suffers a loss of income related to…

Progressives win three judges, Democratic County Central Committee Mary Jung, the former party chair and real-estate lobbyist, loses her seat on the Democratic party’s policy-making board. Two public defenders and a tenant lawyer, Cary Gold for whom we campaigned, will join the bench. https://48hills.org/2020/03/final-final-results-progressives-win-three-judges-dccc

Election results show strong night for local progressives Huge numbers of votes still to count, but trends are favoring the local left. It’s a good night for progressives in San Francisco. With the final Election-Day results in, we can say that two public defenders and a tenant lawyer look to be headed for the Superior…

Endorsements for March 2020 Election President Bernie Sanders California State Senator Jackie Fielder San Francisco Judge Carolyn Gold Maria Evangelista Michelle Tong San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) Assembly District 17 John Avalos Gloria Berry David Campos Christopher Christensen Peter Gallotta Matt Haney Anabell Ibáñez Jane Kim Honey Mahogany Hillary Ronen Shanell Williams Assembly…

Senate Bill 50, Which Would Have Overridden Local Development Control, Fails Thanks to tenants, tenants rights, housing justice organizations and our allies, we won. The vote was against SB 50 today. Here is a good explanation of why 46 tenant and housing justice groups signed up to oppose SB 50.

Scott Wiener Takes More Real Estate Money Than Any Other Politician In The California Legislature https://knock-la.com/scott-wiener-takes-more-real-estate-money-than-any-other-politician-in-the-california-legislature-713bd9556efc A group of unhoused mothers from Moms 4 Housing disrupt a press conference for Scott Wiener’s proposed bill, SB 50. (Photo by the Housing Rights Committee of SF)   The numbers have been crunched: State Senator Scott Wiener received…

California Just Cause and Rent Control Starts January 1, 2020 Effective January 1, 2020, residential units in San Francisco that are not covered by the San Francisco Rent Ordinance have California rent control and just cause is required for eviction unless the unit is exempt. For the units covered only under California rent control, annual…

SF Just Cause Eviction for Post-1979 Construction Effective January 19, 2020 The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, now has a progressive majority that can override moderate vetoes from some of the Supervisors and the Mayor, have approved the law requiring units that were formerly exempt from the San Francisco Rent Ordinance due to construction after…

Breed refuses to sign housing bill Mayor London Breed has refused to sign legislation raising the fee office developers have to pay for affordable housing. Although the bill, which passed unanimously with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, will take effect anyway without her signature, her refusal to sign on – and her letter to…

The candidate the San Francisco Tenants Union campaigned for and who now makes the Board of Supervisors have a possible progressive override of Mayor Breed’s vetoes finally has won. Dean Preston squeezed out 187 more votes in the Nov. 5 election than the incumbent — a margin so small that Brown’s campaign considered calling for…

Statewide Rent Cap and Just Cause Bill Goes Into Effect January 2020: Has Your Landlord Spiked Your Rent or Sent An Eviction Notice In Advance of This Law?   California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1482 to “cap” how much rent can be increased per year and also requires landlords to provide “cause” for eviction notices…

Preston and Boudin Swinging Towards Winning Both candidates that the San Francisco Tenants Union campaigned for are on a path to winning. Dean Preston’s run for District 5 Supervisor has come from behind in the absentee votes (which tend to be conservative) to ahead of Vallie Brown. The lead of less than 1 percent (around…

Court documents show Supervisor Vallie Brown’s tenants paid rent, despite her claims otherwise https://www.sfexaminer.com/news-columnists/court-documents-show-supervisor-vallie-browns-tenants-paid-rent-despite-her-claims-otherwise   Supervisor Vallie Brown apologizes for falsely claiming former tenant didn’t pay rent Apology comes after court documents emerge in decades-old eviction battle Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez Oct. 29, 2019 11:45 a.m. UPDATE 3:02 p.m.: Through an attorney, Supervisor Vallie Brown has…

Dean Preston Challenges Vallie Brown to Support Haney Legislation to Increase Affordable Housing and Protect the Law from Mayoral Veto District 5 Supervisor candidate Dean Preston today challenged his opponent, political appointee Vallie Brown, to back essential legislation to increase the jobs-housing linkage fee that was approved by the Land Use Committee and is headed…

Exemption for Bond Pass-Through for Hardship Likely An ordinance backed by the San Francisco Tenants Union, was introduced to allow tenants who have received a pass-through of general obligation bond from their landlords to seek relief from the Rent Board based on financial hardship This ordinance is likely to pass as the first vote by…

Vallie Brown tenant disputes the supervisor’s version of her eviction Mary Packer, who was evicted by Brown and her co-owners, says she was never given a chance to stay. By Tim Redmond – October 15, 2019 A tenant who lived in the Fillmore Street building that Vallie Brown bought in 1994 told me today that…

KPFA Audio on Vallie Brown’s Eviction of Long-Term, Low-Income Black Tenants At min 52:43, San Francisco Supervisor Vallie Brown’s eviction of long-term, black tenants in the Fillmore District. Vallie Brown has received one-third of her campaign donations ($32,000) from the real estate developers compared to her opponent, Dean Preston, has received $200. Vallie Brown claims…

Supervisor Vallie Brown Evicted Tenants 25 Years Ago http://www.sfweekly.com/news/vallie-brown-tenant-evictions Vallie Brown, the District 5 supervisor in the midst of a heated election, has saidshe knows what it’s like to get evicted. It was often the reason whyshe and her artist friends hopped from one SoMa warehouse to the otherfor nearly a decade. Public records show…

Operating and Maintenance Rent Increases Can Be Appealed If you have recently gotten a Rent Board decision for an operating and maintenance rent increase, please reach out to Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco to get help filing an appeal, by phone (415-703-8644), or by coming into one of their offices during drop-in hours. As…

Facing tenant protest, huge SF landlord waives renter fees This protest, led by Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and joined by the San Francisco Tenants Union, successfully pressured Veritas Investments to waive new fees for many of their tenants. Collaborators on the fee waiver were San Francisco Supervisors Aaron Peskin, and Vallie Brown who…

State-Wide Rent Control with Just Cause Eviction Starts in 2020 When Governor Newsom signs Assembly Bill 1482, sponsored by Assemblyman David Chiu (who has a mixed record for tenants), it may affect residential units that are not covered by the San Francisco Rent Ordinance. Rent increases and evictions with just cause start January 1, 2020…

A Reform Slate elected to oppose real-estate interests can’t prevent the industry’s favorite candidate from winning the D5 nod. SF Democrats side with mayor’s candidates for supe, DA

Bernie Sanders: As a child, rent control kept a roof over my head By Bernie Sanders Updated 10:13 AM EDT, Tue July 30, 2019 Editor’s Note: (Bernie Sanders is one of 10 presidential candidates taking part in a Democratic debate Tuesday, July 30, at 8 p.m. ET, on CNN. Ten others will debate on Wednesday…

Vallie Brown’s big real-estate money The landlords, speculators, realtors and developers have clearly chosen a favorite in the D5 supes race. Read more here. Actual donations for 2018 shows Vallie Brown received more than 8 times the amount of donations from the real estate industry compared to Dean Preston.These documents are from the Ethics Commission.

Watch the video of the eminent economic geographer talking about housing in SF — and other American cities. By Tim Redmond – June 10, 2019 There were so many interesting moments in the presentation by eminent economic geographer Michael Storper April 30. One of the more remarkable things he said: For the richest 30 percent…

Among Democratic candidates for president, the politics of America’s housing affordability crisis are getting complicated. Trump has barged in. Read here for the Democratic presidential candidate proposals for affordable housing. And here for Trump’s support of YIMBYs as his housing solution by removing restrictive local zoning to gut affordable and fair housing.

https://48hills.org/2019/06/wiener-quietly-turns-barber-bill-into-major-housing-legislation/ Gut-and-amend strategy puts a version of SB 50 on the legislative fast track. By Hydee Feldstein – June 18, 2019 State Sen. Scott Wiener, as predicted here, has taken an uncontroversial bill about cosmetology licenses and turned it into a complex and detailed piece of housing legislation that would undermine a long list of…

Landmark Deal Reached on Rent Protections for Tenants in N.Y. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/nyregion/rent-protection-regulation.html Newly empowered Democrats are trying to address concern over housing costs that is helping to drive the debate over inequality. By Luis Ferré-Sadurní, Jesse McKinley and Vivian Wang June 11, 2019 Newly empowered Democratic leaders in Albany announced a landmark agreement on Tuesday to…

Just Cause Eviction and Rent Control in Other California Cities The more tenants there are who are rent-controlled of have just cause eviction protection, the stronger we are. In the San Francisco Bay Area the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, Campbell, Concord, East Palo Alto, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco,…

State Senate Appropriations chair Anthony Portantino announced that SB 50, the bill from Scott Wiener that could demolish affordable housing since there are no enforcement provisions for preventing the demolition, has been held for the year and will eligible again in 2020.

New study challenges Wiener’s approach to housing Eminent economic geographers say that deregulation and upzoning will make gentrification in cities like SF much worse. By Tim Redmond – May 12, 2019 Pretty much everybody who’s paying attention to the housing crisis in San Francisco – except, apparently, the Chronicle – is talking about the new…

Senate Bill 529, our right to organize bill, PASSED the Senate Judiciary Committee 6-2 April 23, 2019! We’re waiting for the hearing date, but the next committee will be Appropriations. This is going to be a pretty big hurdle, and we’ll need all the help we can get from you all to blitz the committee…

https://48hills.org/2019/04/landlord-scams/ Activists warn of a new landlord scam: Seismic upgrade evictions Hearing on Telegraph Hill building sheds light on a potential threat to thousands of SF renters. By Tim Redmond – April 21, 2019 A relatively obscure hearing at the Board of Appeals this week shed some important light on the preservation of rental housing…

Thanks to strong advocacy and organizing by tenants, as well as a great deal of concern voiced by the San Francisco Supervisors, it appears that we will now have two experienced tenants rights lawyers to represent us on the Rent Board Commission. This couldn’t be more important in San Francisco right now, given the continuing…

Vallie Brown has received more than 8 times the amount of donations from the real estate industry compared to Dean Preston. They are both running for San Francisco Supervisor District 5 in the November 2019 election. Could this be why Vallie Brown has been supporting Senate Bill 50, which we oppose because SB 50 would…