By MARSHA POLOVETS
District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly, who represents the area South of Market and Treasure Island, said Thursday that “not enough attention has been paid” to the struggles faced by the two-thirds of San Franciscans who rent and that three proposed changes to the city’s rent laws strike “something of a balance between renters and landlords here in San Francisco.”
The majority of the speakers who attended the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, however, were landlords, and they had a decidedly different view. The proposed changes for rent-controlled property would exempt rent increases for tenants whose rent would exceed 33 percent of the tenants gross income, restrict annual increases to 8 percent, and allow tenants to add roommates without facing rent increases or evictions.
The committee will meet again on June 4, and its recommendation will be made to the full board at the June 23rd meeting. The changes are particularly important for the Mission District where 80 percent of the residents rent compared to 65 percent citywide, according to the 2000 Census.
Josephine Zhao, one owner, said there would be “no effective way of checking [renters’] income.” “We know people are selfish,” she added. “They aren’t going to do the right thing,. If they have a raise, we’ll never hear about it.”
“I can see a big exodus is happening,” she declared at the podium. “Nobody is going to come in and buy property that’s not making money.”
Olga Milan-Howells, who owns two condominiums, said, “We’re not all bad people. We’re not rich Pacific Heights owners.”
“The worst thing is they want to compare the tenant financial need to yours,” she said, indicating that she also has financial worries. “I’m too poor to belong to other circles, but I’m too rich to be in the Mission now. It’s very sad.”
Renters supporting the changes said there is too little affordable housing in the city and that landlords often treat tenants poorly.
Josh Vining, a community organizer for the Mission SRO Collaborative, said that “everyone in San Francisco is scrambling around looking for something affordable.”
“Ever since I’ve heard of this legislation, I’ve been talking to people. A lot of the people who live in SROs are working people. Those renters need a break just like property owners,” he said.
Jose Morales of the San Francisco Tenants Union pressed that “housing is a human right.”
“It is time to change this injustice. Justice for all!” he proclaimed.
According to the report by the Controller’s Office Chief Economist Ted Egan, the “tenant financial hardship relief” and the occupancy ordinances concern only rent-controlled housing or 88 percent of San Francisco’s rental units. The report showed that 35 percent of the rental units would be influenced by the relief ordinance.
District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar, who represents Richmond, moved to support the amendments. “I definitely want to be sensitive to small owners,” he said. “I do believe that this legislation provides relief to people who have been hit the hardest by the economic recession.”
He acknowledged that there is room for improvement– “I am worried as many people are by the unintended consequences.”
Hi Marsha, thanks for reporting this hearing without bias. The voice of small property owners is usually ignored and suppressed. We are very grateful you have done a splendid job on this reporting, and make our voice heard! Our mortgage is 40% of our income, we are suffering just like everybody else if not more so. It is not fair to transfer tenants’ financial problems onto our shoulders. If we are not able to adjust the rent according to property tax hike, water rate hike, gas rate hike, electricity rate hike, school levy tax hike, trash fee hike, insurance premium hike, high-speed internet rate hike (we provide it free), when we can’t make it, we will fold before you know it – because foreclosure proceeding only gives us 3 months! It is crucial to keep us in mind. Like Eric Ma worried that many people were hit the unintended consequences, we ARE the “many people”.
We are also grateful that Mayor Newsome rejected Chris Daly’s “renter relief” bill. Mayor Newsome understands no to rob us for our property. Thanks Gavin!
the tenants who are already in an apartment would be ok but passing the proposed rent control changes would result in landlords not renting to lower income tenants. Anyone making less than $60k per person would be totally shut out of the rental market!!