Tenants scored a victory yesterday as the Board of Supervisors passed legislation forcing landlords to better compensate victims of Ellis Act evictions. Ellis evictions allow landlords to oust tenants from their homes, even if they’re under rent control, then sell their units as condominiums. The new legislation will force these owners to pay $4,500 to each tenant evicted, with an additional $3,000 going towards each senior or disabled victim.
Landlords have increasingly used the Ellis Act in the past year to oust long-time tenants, including seniors and the disabled. The landlords then sell their homes at enormous profits after waiting the necessary three years before they can put them on the market. Property owners vacated over 175 buildings last year, a dramatic increase from the previous year.
The Board voted 7-3, with the usual suspects voting against the measure – Fiona Ma, Michela Alioto-Pier, and Sean Elsbernd. Alioto-Pier in particular cemented her status as the most anti-tenant member of the Board, which stands in striking contrast to the role historically played by the Alioto family of caring for those in need. Somewhat surprisingly absent from the dissenters was Bevan Dufty, who in the past year has moved steadily from the right towards the center of San Francisco’s political spectrum concerning tenant issues.
The Ellis Act evictions often force citizens of San Francisco who enjoy rent control out of the City, as some victims only managed to afford living in the City due to cheap rent. The increased compensation attained last night will likely allow many of these tenants the ability to stay in the City for extended periods of time.
“This legislation means tenants who get evicted will have a much easier time finding a place and moving into it,” said Ted Gullickson of the San Francisco Tenants Union.
Tenants rights advocates have been increasingly searching for a way to stop the Ellis Act eviction as legal challenges have largely come up short due to conservative, unsympathetic state courts. The new law passed yesterday represents a new front on the attack on Ellis evictions, one that is looking for better ways to discourage the evictions through legislation.
“For landlords, it means the cost of Ellis evictions has increased significantly,” said Gullickson. “It’s made life easier for tenants and should lead to a reduction in Ellis Act evictions.”
