Need to Understand Eviction Protections Before They Expire? We Made a Flow Chart
If you’re a tenant facing a COVID-19 hardship, it can be difficult to understand how you are — and are not — protected from eviction. Here’s what you need to know.
City Hall
SF Tenants Set to Gain New Powers in Negotiations With Landlords
Tenants across San Francisco will gain new collective bargaining powers to affect conditions in their buildings, thanks to a move by lawmakers Tuesday.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved protections for tenants to form associations, akin to labor unions, that can negotiate with landlords over a wide range of concerns, including issues like construction schedules and even helping tenants pay off debts taken on to cover rents, often called “shadow debt.”
Housing
SF Renters on Verge of Winning Collective Bargaining Rights
Groundbreaking tenant protections just got closer to becoming a reality in San Francisco.
City supervisors Monday gave the initial thumbs-up to legislation to protect the formation of tenant associations that, like unions, could collectively bargain with landlords. The three-person Rules Committee voted unanimously to approve the protections, which now move to the full Board of Supervisors.
Elections
Interview Transcript: Joaquín Torres
This interview is part of our February 2022 election guide. The Public Press and “Civic” are only publishing highlights from interviews with candidates on our audio platforms, but we are making extended transcripts available to add context. These transcripts have been edited for clarity.
Sylvie Sturm
Can you recap for me? How has your experience been in your very first election campaign that you’ve been going through?
Joaquín Torres
It’s been it’s been pretty amazing to be a first-time citywide candidate and being able to reconnect with so many communities, so many neighborhoods, so many old friends who I’ve been serving in one role or another throughout my time since I started public service back in December of 2009.
Sylvie Sturm
Why are you running for this office in particular?
Joaquín Torres
Well, I I’ve been looking for another way to serve. I started my career in public service and neighborhood services and really tried to learn the foundation of local government city service work from that perspective of: What is the front desk like of constituent services?
Government & Politics
State Not on Track to Pay Most SF Rent Assistance Before Eviction Protections Expire
As much as two-thirds of the rent assistance requested in San Francisco because of COVID-19 hardships will fail to reach tenants in time to protect them from eviction this spring if current trends continue, Public Press projections show.
Housing
Rebuffed Tenant Group Weighs Whether to Continue ‘Debt Strike’
The company generally recognized as San Francisco’s largest landlord has rejected demands by more than 1,200 tenants to help all the company’s renters recover from COVID-19 hardships.
Housing
Hundreds of Buildings Behind on Quake Retrofits, Though Few Show Gas Leak Risk
A new audit found that few retrofitted buildings have a suspected gas line hazard that caused an uproar earlier this year. But it’s not all good news. Hundreds of buildings overshot the retrofit program’s deadline for seismic work.
Community
Despite Upgrades, Treasure Island Power Outages Persist
Residents of San Francisco’s Treasure Island suffered half a dozen power outages in the three months after electrical upgrades were completed this July. That’s just the latest episode in what’s been an ongoing problem for the island.
Coronavirus
Proposed Tenant-Organizing Protections Could Shift Balance of Power in SF
Renters throughout San Francisco could gain power to lessen COVID-19 financial hardships and improve conditions in their buildings with political-organizing tools that have a history of success in subsidized housing.
Coronavirus
Got Sued for Pandemic Rent Debt? Here’s What You Need to Know
Starting in November, many San Francisco tenants may have to defend themselves in small claims court if their landlords sue to obtain unpaid rent due since March 2020.
