From the President
by Eric Andresen
I am filled with eager anticipation for what 2004 will bring. We can all agree that the last three years have been pretty tough ones. We have all seen a slow down in our local economy, falling rental rates, an increasing loss of jobs, noticeable vacancy rates and new legislative challenges directed at property owners. Because of these setbacks, an overall malaise has settled upon all of us. But take heart, 2004 can’t help but be better. Just look at what the stock market is doing.
Take a look at our vacancy rates that, unless something really odd is happening, are less than they were a year ago. There are potential tenants actually looking for apartments again who are willing and able to pay reasonable rates. We can also take heart at what’s happening in the legislative arena. With our new governor and new mayor (congratulations, Gavin!), I’m not just cautiously optimistic about our future anymore. I’m actually thrilled at the opportunities we have ahead of us. I am more than ready to put everything I have into taking advantage of the situation for the betterment of all of us in this industry.
While I’m eager to move our industry ahead, I must recognize that not all change happens overnight. Time is the necessary ingredient for gradually changing the mindset of so many people who hold controlling power over our industry. For example, the new governor, who is clearly sympathetic to our industry’s issues and concerns, is totally overwhelmed with budget and insurance problems, while also fighting advocates of the old “politics-as-usual.” He will certainly require some time to attend to these issues before coming up for air, but when he does, we’ll be ready for him. Mayor Newsom is also not going to find his transition any easier down here. In fact, his pledge to unify the various fragmented elements of this city is a huge undertaking, and the enormity of that job has not yet begun to hit home.
However, we can rest assured that asinine pieces of legislation will be dealt with quickly. Members of the Board of Supervisors will now have to think twice about any proposal they want to push past the new mayor’s desk. There is good news, too, in the transition team that the mayor-elect has put together. Yes, the team is perhaps the biggest in San Francisco history, but that only reflects the drive and desire of Gavin Newsom to move swiftly toward bringing change to our fair city.
Congratulations, by the way, go to our own Janan New, to SFAA and CBH Board Member Bart Murphy, and to CBH’s Bert Polacci, who runs The Villas Parkmerced. They were each named to posts on Newsom’s Transition Team and are sure to protect our interests and to bring our concerns and ideals to the table. The bottom line is that change won’t be too obvious, at first, but I think that a year from now we will be able to look back and see dramatic improvements—not just in our industry but in our city and across the state. Our newfound and hopefully infectious positive attitude will prevail.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. In addition to serving as the current President of SFAA, Eric is also the Vice President of Political Affairs for PPMA and is the original author of the PPMA Residential Tenancy Agreement. Eric also serves as Vice President of the California Apartment Association, and he is extensively involved in other industry organizations here in San Francisco and at the state level. He owns and operates West Coast Property Management and West Coast Property Maintenance Companies. Copyright © 2004.