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Indybay Feature
Board Committee Votes 3-0 to Protect Tenants
The Board of Supervisors Land Use and Economic Development Committee unanimously forwarded legislation yesterday that would provide significant new protections for tenants against evictions. Sponsored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the proposal would prohibit any buildings where multiple no-fault evictions or the eviction of a senior, disabled or catastrophically ill person occurred from ever entering the city’s lottery for condo conversion. The approval occurred following a spirited rally on the steps of City Hall, where housing rights activists and victims of no-fault evictions detailed the massive displacement occurring in San Francisco right now due primarily to the Ellis Act. The proposal will now move to the Board of Supervisors, where it requires 8 votes to avoid a mayoral veto.
Both the rally preceding yesterday’s hearing and the hearing itself brought out many long-time San Francisco tenants affected by a recent wave of Ellis Act evictions. A variety of seniors, artists, disabled people and people of color attending both events detailed their experience with the Act.
One of those people was Jay Lasnik, who along with the rest of his neighbors recently received an eviction notice from his landlord, who is a real estate speculator. According to Lasnik, his building provides a case study of what’s wrong with the Ellis Act.
“If we are kicked out, the city will be losing senior citizens, straights, gays, blacks, whites, and transgender people, and that’s a shame.” said Lasnik. “Where is the compassion? Where is being a neighbor? Where is the Golden Rule?”
Housing activists Tommi Avicolli-Mecca and Brian Basinger also gave moving testimony when they read a long list of buildings where disabled, senior or catastrophically ill tenants, including tenants with AIDS, were evicted.
“Please help us stop this list from getting any longer,” said Avicolli-Mecca.
Peskin’s legislation would help achieve just that by preventing those who own Tenancy in Commons (TICs) from ever entering the city’s lottery for condo conversion if multiple no-fault evictions or the eviction of a protected class of tenant was displaced.
More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3203#more
One of those people was Jay Lasnik, who along with the rest of his neighbors recently received an eviction notice from his landlord, who is a real estate speculator. According to Lasnik, his building provides a case study of what’s wrong with the Ellis Act.
“If we are kicked out, the city will be losing senior citizens, straights, gays, blacks, whites, and transgender people, and that’s a shame.” said Lasnik. “Where is the compassion? Where is being a neighbor? Where is the Golden Rule?”
Housing activists Tommi Avicolli-Mecca and Brian Basinger also gave moving testimony when they read a long list of buildings where disabled, senior or catastrophically ill tenants, including tenants with AIDS, were evicted.
“Please help us stop this list from getting any longer,” said Avicolli-Mecca.
Peskin’s legislation would help achieve just that by preventing those who own Tenancy in Commons (TICs) from ever entering the city’s lottery for condo conversion if multiple no-fault evictions or the eviction of a protected class of tenant was displaced.
More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3203#more
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