Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for District 11, where we ask each candidate to answer one question every week leading up to the election. They must answer the question in 100 words or less. We will link to longer answers.
With District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí termed out and running for mayor, seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the Excelsior, Oceanview and the Outer Mission.
Proposition 33, a state measure on the November ballot, would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a California law that limits the ability of local governments to enact rent control.
Under Costa-Hawkins, cities are not allowed to set rent control on single-family homes or apartments built after 1995. Also, landlords can set their own rents however they wish when new tenants move in.
If this proposition passes, cities would be able to control rents on any type of housing, including new single-family homes and apartments. In San Francisco, the Board of Supervisors last week passed a law that would usher in rent control for any apartments built before 1994, and Mayor London Breed has said she will sign the law — so if Prop. 33 passes, far more San Francisco tenants will have rent control.
This week’s question: Do you support Proposition 33, and why?
Michael Lai is the only candidate against the proposition, while his biggest opponents — Chyanne Chen and Ernest “EJ” Jones, who have also formed an alliance — support it. Roger Marenco is also supportive of it.
Adlah Chisti did not directly answer the question, and Jose Morales and Oscar Flores didn’t submit their responses.
This week, I will be at Excelsior Coffee at 4495 Mission St. on Friday, Oct. 18, at 10:30 a.m. You can also reach me with questions, comments, and tips at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Chyanne Chen
- Job: Worker organizer, community facilitator and educator
- Age: 39
- Residency: Homeowner, landlord, living in District 11 since August 2000
- Transportation: Walk, public transportation, rideshare, and car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis, master’s degree from Cornell University, doctoral degree in education in progress at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Proposition 33 empowers California cities and counties to implement housing policies that best meet the needs of their communities. As the most populous and diverse state, California cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. 44 percent of Californians are renters, and stabilizing rents is one of the most effective ways to prevent homelessness and keep families in their homes.
By repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, Proposition 33 gives local governments the flexibility to enact fair rent control policies that balance the needs of renters with those of property owners, including small landlords. Proposition 33 does not mandate rent … read more here
Endorsed by: Assemblymember Phil Ting, former police commissioner Larry Yee, San Francisco Board of Education commissioner Jenny Lam, former supervisors Norman Yee, Sandy Fewer and Mabel Teng.
Adlah Chisti
- Job: Public policy analyst, caregiver
- Age: 40
- Residency: Live with parents and caregive for them, born in District 11 in 1983 and lived there since, moved out in 2013 and back in 2017
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in politics and in environmental science, and master’s degree in education from University of San Francisco, master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, juris doctorate from University of California Law, San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish, Hindi
I am, first and foremost, beholden to the residents and voters of San Francisco and, whichever the outcome is, I will support it.
We are in dire need of housing at all levels, and we need both state and local support on this. From my own research, I do know Prop. 33 won’t fix the housing crisis or make it easier to build affordable homes. New construction would freeze. As a tenants rights activist and advocate, what we need for our community are both rent control expansion and streamlined construction, which this measure lacks. Prop. 33’s unintended consequences would make … read more here
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Green Party, Run for Something, Police Commissioner Debra Walker, … read more here
Oscar Flores
- Job: Project engineer
- Age: 29
- Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived here continuously, except for the time away in college
- Transportation: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Portsmouth in United Kingdom, and a master’s (postgraduate certificate) in Space Engineering from the University of Surrey in United Kingdom
- Languages: Spanish, French, English
Did not respond.
Endorsed by: The Republican Club of San Francisco, San Francisco Republican Party, San Francisco Briones Society, San Francisco Young Republicans.
Ernest “EJ” Jones
- Job: Community advocate
- Age: 38
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since November 1985 and has lived here always, except for time away at college
- Transportation: Public, car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Dominican University, master’s degree in public administration from University of San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
Yes. I think it is necessary to expand options for rent control. Rent control has successfully provided opportunities for many San Franciscans to remain in our city. Limiting rent control to buildings that pre-date 1979 excludes many units that have been paid off and could potentially house workers, seniors, and families who want to live in San Francisco.
Endorsed by: Supervisors Shamann Walton and Myrna Melgar, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Former SF mayor Willie Brown Jr., Transit Workers Union Local 250A, San Francisco Chronicle… read more here
Michael Lai
- Job: Early education director, elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party
- Age: 32
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since February 2024
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in government at Harvard College with coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Languages: English, Mandarin
Housing affordability is a crisis in San Francisco and in California.
Fundamentally, San Francisco has not built enough housing quickly enough in the last 50 years, and also lacks enough affordable housing.
As a renter, I understand that Prop. 33 could provide some immediate relief to rent-burdened tenants, including those renting in single-family homes. However, I am a No on Proposition 33 because, based on SPUR’s analysis, Proposition 33 has negative effects that outweigh positives by:
- Significantly lowering the number of new homes that are built, which is already very low, with high interest rates and very high cost of construction.
Endorsed by: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, NorCal Carpenters Union… read more here
Roger Marenco
- Job: Transit operator
- Age: 42
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since May 2014
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability and social justice from San Francisco State University. City College San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
Yes, I do support Prop 33 because rent is too expensive and we need to put a halt to the insane rent increases that low-income working families have to pay every month. In order to obtain rent affordability, we have to start somewhere, or else we will go nowhere, and insane rent increases will continue to spread everywhere, which will result in us not being able to rent anywhere. The bottom line pertaining to this is that we need to help working families, so that they can afford to pay their rent, by expanding rent control.
Jose Morales
- Job: Sales professional, small-business owner
- Age: 29
- Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived there since, except for time away in college from 2014 to 2017 and living in Idaho from 2021 to the end of 2022
- Transportation: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University
- Languages: English, Spanish
Did not respond.
Campaign finance
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated weekly. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the District 11 questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
