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San Francisco Mayor London Breed Tuesday extended her eviction moratorium through the end of November. For many tenants, that will delay displacement — a longstanding political issue in the city, as exemplified by this demonstration at the 2014 Pride Parade.

City Hall, Coronavirus, Economy & Business, Housing, Law & Justice

Breed Extends Eviction Moratorium to Dec. 1

by Noah Arroyo and Ciara Long August 26, 2020September 10, 2020

Mayor London Breed Tuesday gave San Francisco tenants an additional month to figure out how they will cover rent and avoid eviction, in light of economic hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the soonest landlords could legally evict for nonpayment of rent is Dec. 1. That’s a month later than the previously announced eviction moratorium was set to end. The information was initially made public in a web post from the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. The San Francisco Public Press received confirmation of these changes from Hugo Ramirez, a staff member at the Mayor’s office.

A gym in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood is one of many shuttered businesses that have thrown residents out of work, slicing incomes and prompting requests for help with rent.

Coronavirus, Economy & Business, Housing

Gap Widens Between Renter Shortfalls and S.F.’s Assistance Fund

by Noah Arroyo August 10, 2020September 10, 2020

San Francisco residents have requested four times the rent assistance City Hall can provide, indicating a widening gap between resident needs and the city’s ability to help. The city is in the process of giving out $7 million to help people cover rent — but it has received more than $28 million in requests from over 6,800 applications since this spring, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, which is disbursing the money from the Give2SF COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

Coronavirus, Housing, Law & Justice

Court Upholds S.F. Eviction Ban

by Noah Arroyo August 3, 2020September 10, 2020

A challenge to San Francisco’s eviction moratorium lost in court Monday. The San Francisco Apartment Association and three co-plaintiffs sued the City and County of San Francisco in June to overturn legislation that took eviction permanently off the table for unpaid rents due during the pandemic. They argued that it was an unconstitutional taking of […]

California, Economy & Business, Housing

Bill Could Help Keep Some Rentals Affordable

by Noah Arroyo July 16, 2020September 10, 2020

Tenants would gain a potential pathway into permanently affordable housing — to weather the COVID-19 pandemic — under a bill making its way through the state Legislature. Assembly Bill 1703 would require most owners looking to sell residential rental property to give the property’s tenants, as well as designated groups like nonprofits, the opportunity to […]

Economy & Business, Housing, Law & Justice

Real Estate Groups Sue S.F. Over Eviction Ban

by Noah Arroyo June 29, 2020September 10, 2020

Real estate groups Monday sued the City and County of San Francisco to overturn an eviction ban designed to help renters weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs argue that the city ordinance “violates constitutional and state law” empowering landlords to evict, and conflicts with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Orders, which have allowed local governments to […]

City Hall, Housing, Law & Justice

Landlords Threaten to Sue Over S.F. Eviction Ban

by Noah Arroyo June 25, 2020September 10, 2020

A landlords’ group plans to sue San Francisco over tenant protections established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the organization’s executive director. The Board of Supervisors this month approved a permanent ban on evictions for rents unpaid from mid-March through July. An earlier local eviction moratorium would have allowed landlords to start pursuing […]

Applications for building permits have been rising since Mayor London Breed allowed construction to fully resume in early May. In this graph, each bar represents one week of permit filings. The first week of 2019 contains partial data because it began on a Wednesday.

Coronavirus, Housing

Construction Ramps Up in S.F. — for Now

by Noah Arroyo June 16, 2020June 30, 2020

Construction sites are coming back to life throughout San Francisco, but the surge in activity may not last long. Builders pulled 334 permits last week, up from zero 10 weeks earlier as the coronavirus shutdown took effect. That puts construction activity at about 58% of normal. In the year leading up to Mayor London Breed’s […]