feature

By Dan Wilson and Emily Landes

Photos courtesy of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

Editor’s Note: SFAA’s long and varied history will be relayed in two parts. This first part will begin with the organization’s inception and end at the start of rent control in San Francisco. The second part, which will be published in the February issue, will cover the ballot battles of the 1980s and 90s and the organization’s recent past.

Since 1917, a group of rental property owners has led the fight in San Francisco to protect and defend owners’ rights. This is their story.

For 90 years, the San Francisco Apartment Association has faithfully advocated for the interests of rental property owners. Founded in 1917 as the Owners and Lessees Apartment House Association, it merged in 1957 with the San Francisco Apartment House Association to become the Apartment House Associations Consolidated. (Since the 1980s, it has been known by its current title.) By taking firm stands on such issues as overtaxation and rent and vacancy control, the association has fought on the side of owners in the political arena and has assisted them through counseling referrals, seminars and other services for the management of their properties.

The association’s offices were in the Monadnock Building until the 1980s, when they were relocated to Kearny Street, then Hayes Street and finally to their present location on Ivy Street.

The Board of Directors has met all over San Francisco, including the old Sheraton Palace, the Press Club, Cogswell College (now the Ritz-Carlton), the California Club, the St. Francis Yacht Club, the Iron Horse Restaurant (one of the board’s favorite locations) and the San Francisco Tennis Club. And there are enduring traditions. For years, the association gave away turkeys and oranges at Christmas to members who drew the lucky number. Today, we still have a raffle at the annual holiday party at Fort Mason.

Over the years, the association faced many politically charged and emotional issues, such as integration, low-rent housing, vacancy control and even “waterbed rights.” Time after time, the association cut a sharp figure as a scrappy political fighter, unwilling to sit back and take what was coming from San Francisco City Hall. The association’s political clout strengthened through the years—it became a force to be reckoned with.

Some of the state’s most powerful officials have come to the association in search of support. Ronald Reagan, George Deukmejian and Dianne Feinstein are just some of the hundreds of politicians who have sought endorsements and donations from the association’s Political Action Committee.

The following is a chronological history of association highlights.

The Early Years
In the beginning, the association offices were located at the historic Monadnock Building on Market Street, one of the few buildings to survive the 1906 earthquake. Early association leadership was composed of believers in the free-market system. They enjoyed poking their heads into City Hall and making politicians nervous.

In 1938, the association approved an expenditure of $200 to begin publishing a newsletter called The Guardian. In August 1938, the Refreshment Committee was formed amidst a flurry of association infighting; a lawsuit against the board of directors ensued.

Also in 1938, the San Francisco Housing Authority was formed despite the fierce opposition of the association. In 1939, John Porter of Stanford University spoke to the association and said the government intended to take responsibility for the elimination of slums only temporarily, until private initiatives could take over. He emphasized the fact that San Francisco did not have the slum conditions that existed in the East and South.

In 1939, the association approved a resolution opposing the Calvary Cemetery low-cost housing site. Mayor Angelo Rossi came to the association to speak in favor of low-cost housing at a special meeting of the organization. Association president Charles Christin spoke out against the program.

The following year, the association again raised its opposition to low-income housing and passed a resolution protesting the projects that were planned for 15th and Valencia streets. Also in 1940, the association passed the following bylaw revision: “This association shall take no part in partisan politics, nor shall it sponsor or endorse any political candidate.”

In April 1941, the association passed a resolution outlining the organization’s opposition to big government and high taxation. The resolution called for: economy in government administration, tax limitation, and an overhaul of assessed valuation and other revenue to relieve real estate of its disproportionate burden of taxation.

In May 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt declared the Bay Area a “Defense Area,” permitting builders to borrow up to 90% of the value of their property and sell with no down payment.

In September, Winnifred Collins McCarthy was suggested as a possible editor of The Guardian.

The War Years
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the association took immediate action defending housing issues. Association President Christin expressed the seriousness of the situation and admonished all members to do their part. Christin told the members, “We have a duty to perform and must obey the law and mandates of those in authority. Whether it’s the Army or Navy—obey them.”

During the war, the association played its patriotic role by recycling waste paper and scrap metals for the war effort. Meanwhile, the association decided to oppose the recall of the embattled Mayor Rossi, “in view of the national emergency and war conditions.” Rossi thanked the association for its support.

In November 1943, the association changed the name of its publication to Apartment Life.

The Post-War Era
In late 1945, the association debated whether to allow Chinese-Americans to become members. Several members spoke at length, arguing in favor of admittance, calling it “a good idea.”

After years of fighting (during the war years) with the Federal Office of Price Administration, the association turned its efforts toward defeating rent control on a statewide basis.

In March 1948, the association went on record against communism. President Christin called on the membership to “work for the complete opposition to communism.”

One month later, membership in the association reached 2,400.

Elizabeth Ent of the American Red Cross spoke to the association in September 1950 on “disaster preparedness.” She requested blood donations for soldiers fighting in Korea and said that whole blood was needed for radiation “due to atomic bomb.” Also, Battalion Chief Henry Lindecker of the San Francisco Fire Department spoke to the association about the Disaster Relief and Civil Defense Program for San Francisco. He said that the atomic bomb would have three effects: a blast effect, a fire storm (within a radius of two-and-a-half miles) and radiation. He stated that in the event of an atomic bomb attack the public should first and foremost “keep cool,” and that the atomic bomb should be respected, but not feared.

On October 18, 1951, Charles Christin was elected to another term as president of the association. In 1953, the association worked hard to head off attempts at new state and federal rent control laws. Rents were decontrolled in July by the Office of Price Administration.

In 1956, President Christin expressed concern about the building of freeways. Some members thought it a sign of progress, while others felt that too much taxable land was being removed from the tax rolls—and that soon taxpayers would find the tax rate exorbitant. Other members of the association felt that freeways would relieve traffic. Some thought if tourists could get in and out of San Francisco on the freeways, the streets would be available for local traffic.

In February 1957, William Frank Worthington, president of the San Francisco Apartment House Association, proposed merging with the Owners and Lessees Apartment House Association in a letter to President Christin. The board of directors concurred, and the move toward amalgamation began. In October, President Christin presented the proposal to the general membership after the boards of both organizations agreed to a merger. On November 19, 1957, the membership of the Owners and Lessees Apartment House Association Inc. voted unanimously to merge with the Apartment House Association of San Francisco to become the Apartment House Associations Consolidated.

On January 7, 1958, the first organizational meeting of the new Apartment House Associations Consolidated was held at the Monadnock Building and new bylaws were adopted.

The Age of Aquarius
In November 1964, City Assessor Russell Wolden talked to the membership about the city’s economy. He felt that luxury apartments were overbuilt in San Francisco. However, he described San Francisco as the healthiest city in the U.S. “It is solid, stable and is considered very attractive to banks and insurance companies,” he said.

It was also attractive to young people who were a part of the growing countercultural movement of the time. In May 1967, Warren Cain, a probation officer, addressed the association regarding hippies. He said hippies were coming to San Francisco from all sections of the world. According to Cain, runaways were attracted to the city for three reasons: to live with other hippies, to buy drugs and just to look (at the hippies). Cain also said that drug crimes had increased from 2 in 1957 to 225 cases in 1967.

In April 1968, the association passed a resolution requesting that the mayor provide police and fire protection to the Haight-Ashbury area, and that steps be taken to clean up the district because the absence of a cleanup was detrimental to property values in the area.

Many political leaders spoke to the association in this period. Supervisorial candidate Diane Feinstein addressed the association in 1969. In October 1973, supervisorial candidate Harvey Milk spoke before the association, seeking its support.

The association also took a few political stands of its own. The association recommended to the city’s Board of Permit Appeals that no permit be given for the applications of 13 “nude encounter parlors” in San Francisco. In June 1975, members packed a standing room only meeting at the Board of Supervisors on events relating to the Children in Apartments Ordinance. In 1976, the association sparred with Mayor George Moscone on “five punitive business tax increases.”

Rent Control Begins
In March 1977, Winnifred McCarthy warned members of a deluge of tenant complaints over exorbitant rent increases. “These increases are bringing on the threat of rent control, not only in Berkeley, but in San Francisco,” McCarthy explained. The following year, McCarthy reported to the association that local lefties were planning to put rent control measures on the ballot until “they bring the [apartment] owners to their knees and deplete their supply of money.”

On June 13, 1979, even as Santa Cruz defeated rent control for the second time, San Francisco passed rent control legislation that was signed into law by Acting Mayor Gordon Lau. On February 20, 1980, the association went on “Red Alert” as Supervisor Harry Britt tried to tighten the rent control law. In April 1982, Mayor Dianne Feinstein vetoed a new vacancy control ordinance. Also, the Board of Supervisors defeated a motion by Supervisor Nancy Walker regarding interest on rent deposits.

On May 17, 1983, Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda visited San Francisco and opened an office at 1095 Market St. McCarthy said they were hiring solicitors to sell memberships in the Campaign for Economic Democracy. Fonda and Hayden were trying to export their “movement” to Northern California after having suffered major defeats in Santa Monica.

One month later, Mayor Feinstein wrote the association stating her intention to sign a law requiring 5% interest on tenants’ deposits (the law was eventually signed by the mayor and became effective in September 1983).

Around the same time, the San Francisco Examiner ran a sensationalized story on rent evictions, fueling Supervisor Britt and the tenant lobbying organizations. In February 1985, Supervisor Bill Maher’s resolution imposing interim controls on conversions from residential to commercial use passed the board with a six-to-two vote.

Next month: SFAA’s history continues, starting with the contentious ballot measures of the 1980s and 90s.

---

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or SF Apartment Magazine. Emily Landes is the managing editor of SF Apartment Magazine and Rental Housing. Copyright © 2008 by SF Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.