San Francisco renters might keep away from looming eviction cliff, if Supes approve reduction proposal
San Franciscans can avoid the evacuation cliff looming ahead of other California renters if the expanded protection that Supervisor Dean Preston is proposing this week gets approval from the larger board of directors.
Under current law, tenants who have been financially affected by the pandemic are only allowed to pay a quarter of their rent and do not have to be evicted. However, this benefit expires on June 30th. With little appetite at the state level to expand protection under Senate Act 91, tenants and lawyers have been waiting eagerly for what has become known as the “eviction cliff” as the rent relief has still reached many needy people.
Under the laws introduced by Preston on Tuesday and announced on Wednesday, tenants in San Francisco could continue to pay 25 percent of their rent through the end of the year. The impending expiry of SB 91 means that local jurisdictions are again free to take their own eviction moratorium measures.
While Preston is not taking his passage for granted, Mayor London has ordered and extended Breed moratoriums on emergency clearing, while the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed laws based on those orders. On Tuesday, the supervisory authorities unanimously approved an extension of the evictions through no fault, as resulted from the move in and the renovation of owners, until September.
“People are still struggling with the pandemic and are only just finding their booth,” Preston told the examiner. “This is quite a big endeavor to get all of those funds out quickly. The last thing we need is that pressure on all evictions that take place while this is being sorted out. “
The legislation would give tenants more time to stay in their homes while rent relief is slowly distributed to landlords while maintaining public health, Preston said. One version of the legislation is an emergency law that can only last 60 days and one that is implemented through the standard board process and allows protection until December 31st.
In the first six months after the coronavirus shutdown alone, tenants in San Francisco have amassed an estimated $ 81 million to $ 196 million in unpaid rents, according to an October report by Budget and Legislative Analyst. The process for tenants to obtain rent relief from the state has been criticized as being slow, cumbersome and full of obstacles.
Elena Cruz, who has been unemployed since March, applied for relief under the state program but received no notifications about it. This week, she received a letter from her landlord saying she must move immediately to pay $ 18,000 in rent back or vacate her 18-year-old home, said Maria Jandres, organizer of the San Francisco Housing Rights Committee in the southeast.
“She has a lot of trauma,” said Jandres, translating from Spanish for Cruz. “We have already received these communications and will be in May. We really, really need to do something to make sure the Franciscans stay in their homes. “
Breed announced Monday that San Francisco’s emergency rental program will begin accepting applications starting Friday. The Mayor’s Housing and Community Development Office will be able to distribute a portion of $ 90 million received through government assistance to needy renters, but has a little over a month through June 30.
“This has been a year of challenges that we have not faced before and the economic consequences of the pandemic have been devastating for so many companies and employees,” Breed said in a statement. “This rent relief is critical to helping tenants and small home owners get back on their feet as we continue our economic recovery. It is absolutely vital that we keep people in their homes and this funding will help make that happen. “
Tenants who can provide evidence of financial difficulties can apply for three months ‘rent back and six months’ rent via sf.gov/renthelp.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly difficult for vulnerable renters and home owners struggling with missed rents and deferred mortgages,” said Charley Goss, manager of government and community affairs for the San Francisco Apartment Association. “Now that local rental assistance is available, it is vital that housing providers and their tenants in underserved communities can quickly and easily access and navigate the program.”
However, a political battle for additional rent relief has arisen. Proposal I, a property sales tax of more than $ 10 million, which was passed by voters in November, was used as rental aid and affordable housing. Approximately $ 10 million from the revenue has been approved for rent relief, with another additional budget pending approval.
Prop. I has raised $ 58.5 million since it went into effect in January, according to the Controller’s Office. While viewed as a very volatile source of income, it is expected to soar $ 800 million with the high profile sale of PG & E’s downtown headquarters.
Tenants and lawyers have asked Breed to use the funds as intended for the coming financial year. It has claimed that it would not approve any additional allocations until its budget is launched on June 1st.
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