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Mark Addiego
South San Francisco, a city of roughly 40% tenants, half of whom pay more than 30% or more of their income in rent, is exploring new ways to strengthen tenant protection as the moratorium expires on statewide evictions looms.
The city council discussed options at its meeting on Wednesday, which included creating a rent registry to track housing metrics that could potentially be used to create a new city rent policy. The implementation of guidelines on tenant-landlord mediation is also on the table, rules that could potentially require landlords to meet with tenants if rents are increased or other issues arise.
“I don’t think we should be surprised that there has been so much interest in these articles dealing with tenancy protections,” said Mayor Mark Addiego, after dozens of members of the public spoke out at the meeting. meeting.
To the frustration of some, the proposals discussed represent a basic policy, one on which one could rely to strengthen the protection of tenants in the city but which in itself lacks teeth for significant change.
The average rent for available one-bedroom units in the city is $ 2,717, down from the pre-COVID average of $ 2,883, according to the city.
Although the statewide moratorium, Assembly Bill 883, expires on September 30, its protections do not expire until March of next year, and local jurisdictions cannot enact their own moratoria before the expiration of state rule protections. As per the rule, 91 households in southern San Francisco received $ 1.5 million in assistance, but as of August 25, 339 more requests were under consideration, representing more than $ 4 million in assistance. requested, depending on the city.
The state has also already put in place rent stabilization legislation in the form of Assembly Bill 1482, signed in 2019. The law caps annual rent increases at 5% in buildings 15 years or older. more. It also establishes some protection against expulsion without just cause.
But some advocates say the law doesn’t go far enough, and more aggressive versions of rent controls are needed in southern San Francisco, where recent job growth has far outpaced housing development.
Creating a rent registry would allow the city to track rent increases, including those illegal under state law. It could also answer questions about vacancy rates and inform development decisions with information on potential relocations.
“As any good social scientist will tell you, the cornerstone of good public policy is good data,” said Jordan Grimes, senior member of the housing advocacy group Peninsula for Everyone. “When it comes to rental market information, however, we have anything but.”
According to a presentation from city staff, creating a rental registry would cost nearly $ 1 million or more, requiring new staff and new or adapted database software. Full implementation could also take several years. Staff cited a registry established in El Cerrito, and noted that setting up a registry is a huge undertaking.
In addition, it was noted the availability of potentially similar information via commercial sources. CoStar, for example, can provide occupancy and rental price data for a fee, and has been used in the past by South San Francisco when creating reports.
El Cerrito said the information from commercial sources was consistent with information obtained through their registry, according to the city’s submission.
Paul Beaudreau, a San Mateo real estate agent, called to express concern for the registry.
“I really don’t understand how this can effectively help tenants,” Beaudreau said. “The way I see it, it’s just a loss of $ 1 million, $ 1.5 million and that money could be better served by housing people.”
No action was taken to discuss the matter at Wednesday’s meeting, with the board agreeing to continue deliberations at a later date.
The city has urged anyone who is having difficulty paying rent to come to Housingiskey.com or stop by the YMCA on Huntington Avenue for in-person assistance.
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