Eviction Control, Parking Restrictions Head to the Board
Last month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Land Use and Economic Development Committee heard a proposal to extend the just-cause eviction protection of the San Francisco Rent Control Ordinance to tenants residing in rental units built after June 13, 1979. This proposal has become known within the apartment industry as “rent control on new construction,” although only the eviction controls, not the price controls of rent control, would apply.
If this law passes at the board, owners in construction built after that date will no longer be able to use a 30-Day Notice to Vacate to Terminate a Tenancy. Instead, they will only be able to reclaim a rental unit for one of the just causes for eviction. Most owners subject to the rent control law pay attorneys thousands of dollars to reclaim a rental unit. Among other things, this law greatly impedes an owner’s ability to move back into a condominium in a newly constructed project, and many owners purchased these units and rented them out believing they could always move back in when they desired.
But eviction control on new construction is not the only anti-property rights legislation heading to the board. Board President David Chiu recently introduced legislation that would limit the construction of garages in existing rental properties. His proposal is geared at just a handful of neighborhoods in the city’s northeastern sector, but it would bar owners of residential rental properties in these areas from adding a garage if a tenant had been evicted without fault, such as through the Ellis Act or an owner move-in, over the past 10 years. In buildings where there have not been any no-fault evictions, owners would still need to secure a special permit from the City Planning Department and, in some cases, also the Board of Supervisors.
As now crafted, Chiu’s proposal would apply only to neighborhoods in the district he represents, including North Beach, Chinatown and Telegraph Hill. Street parking is at a premium in those neighborhoods, making garages all the more valuable. Chiu said that, while his proposal is only directed toward his district, the restrictions eventually could be expanded to other areas.
SFAA is asking its members to call, email and/or write their supervisors expressing their opposition to these law changes. To find out more, click here or contact SFAA Political Affairs Director Lisa Fricke at lisa@sfaa.org or 415-255-2288.
Fair Housing Seminar December 10
SFAA is proud to announce a new course on the critical topic of fair housing. Fair housing practices are not only ethical; they are also good business. With discrimination complaints, undercover investigations, and fines and penalties on the rise, it is imperative that all owners and employees be trained to understand and abide by all federal, state and local laws regarding fair housing. You can’t afford to make a costly mistake.
SFAA’s Fair Housing Course will cover: fair housing law—past and present; federal versus state fair housing laws; children, families and fair housing;
accommodating the disabled; fair housing exemptions; legal marketing and advertising techniques; leasing dos and don’ts; making policies, procedures and decisions; and proper leasing and rental procedures.
The course will take place Thursday, December 10, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco. The cost is $80 for SFAA
members and $100 for nonmembers.
Register today at www.sfaa.org or by contacting SFAA Deputy Director Vanessa Khaleel at 415-255-2288 ext 16 or vanessa@sfaa.org.
Inclusionary Housing Decision Stands
The California Supreme Court recently denied the request to review a lawsuit in which downtown Los Angeles developer Geoff Palmer successfully challenged an affordable housing requirement in the city. The decision could mean that other inclusionary housing laws in the state will be overturned.
Palmer, one of L.A.’s biggest developers, sued the city two years ago to avoid having to set aside units for low-income tenants in his proposed apartment complex. He won the case in December 2007, and the city appealed the ruling. The appellate court agreed with the previous decision, setting the stage for a statewide precedent.
The city subsequently filed a petition asking the California Supreme Court to review the case. That request was denied, making the appellate court decision final.
Billions Set Aside for Energy Efficiency
The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved the largest energy-efficiency program in American history. The commission has set an energy-efficiency budget of $3.1 billion for Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company, which will cover the three-year period from 2010 through 2012.
According to the commission, this is the largest commitment ever made by a state to energy efficiency, and the funding from this decision is expected to create between 15,000 and 18,000 skilled green jobs. The commission also believes the new funding will create energy savings of almost 7,000 gigawatt hours, 1,500 megawatts and 150 million metric therms of natural gas. This is the equivalent of three 500-megawatt power plants and will avoid three million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, roughly equal to the emissions from nearly 600,000 cars a year.
The plan includes the new California Statewide Program for Residential Energy Efficiency. Under this program, the commission will launch the largest and most comprehensive residential retrofit program in the United States, aiming to reduce energy consumption by 20% for up to 130,000 California homes by 2012. The decision also funds $175 million for innovative programs to deliver zero net energy homes and commercial buildings. The funding will cover design assistance, incentives for “above code” construction, and research and demonstration of new technologies and materials.
$1.5 Billion to Prevent Homelessness
As part of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, $1.5 billion federal dollars have been provided for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program, which is designed to provide assistance to households that would otherwise become homeless and to help those who are homeless quickly get back into housing. More than $820 million will go toward direct financial assistance, such as rental assistance. The City and County of San Francisco received almost $9 million.