>> good afternoon. welcome to the san francisco board of supervisors san francisco land use committee i'm scott wiener to my right is supervisor kim the committee vice chair and supervisor chiu will be joining us shortly and

our clerk a andrea and i want to thank sfgovtv for broadcasting today's hearing. motorcycles >> yes. please silence all electronic devices. completed speaker card to be included as part of the docket shall be on the at the scene of the accident jaubd. >> thank you. and will you please call item one >> it's amending the administrator code. supervisor campos is the lead author. >> thank you very much for the members of the committee to hear this item. i want to thank the members of the board who are co- sponsoring this legislation.

i don't know that anyone is necessarily happy we find ourselves in a position to be here but we are here today proud to be introducing what is the first piece of legislation that i have introduced to address a larger issue of the housing crisis that san francisco is facing. i don't believe that this legislation is by any means a pan caesar and terms of the displacement in san francisco but we believe in protecting the tenants from harassment is a part of any stream. as we are aware we're many the middle of an affordability crisis in san francisco. i've been talking about a tail of two cities where it's the

best of time for some folks but for more a challenge to believe to stay in san francisco. we have seen the numbers the report that was issued at my request by the budget and elective analysis this shows the italians evictions a one hundred and 69 percent. we know the ellis act there are tenants being played by buy out that are not reported. you i've heard in talking about those buy outs i've heard from the constituents that their has been a significant increase in harassment faced by tenants. we've heard any stories of

landlords calling tenants at work and the tenant is getting in trouble with their employer. beef harder allocations of landlords locking tenants out of their pavements and performing loud construction projects for the purpose of harassing the tenant not for the purpose of doing the work. we have heard from a number of tenants that keep getting calls from the landlord to, you know, intimidated them and push them to accept a buy out and we've seen examples and heard from individuals where the landowners have called and offered to buy them out so the tenant is a vacant the unit.

we've seen the hear me out is increasing and we're seeing that reported drishlg directly from organization the tenant unions and other the main recourse the tenant can file a civil litigation matter in california supreme court and we know that that's a very dawn task and expensive endeavor and not surprisingly we haven't seen those kinds of cases being fidelity because it's difficult for tenants to very wellism of that recourse. it's that reason why working with the tenants advocates we've created this administrative process for tenant to make an official complaint about

harassments. it creates a mechanism at the rent board for the tenants to file a sclament if the landowners is harassing the tenant to vacate the unit. the legislation would allow the attempted to file a complaint with the rent board that would schedule a hearing before a law just between the tenant and landlord would believable to present their case. this judge would present 9 board with a summer so the rent board could decide and make a referral to the city attorney to initiate civil altercation or the zake district attorney to initiate criminal procedures. it creates an immediatey step that doesn't exit to the only

recourse is presently the case the tenant goes to court. i want to thank all the advocates that have been working on this to address the issue of placement in the housing crisis. i want to thank the folks for the advocate work and working with my office to introduce this. again, i want to thank my co-sponsors and clearly this is not a panacea but an important step of a larger strategy. i also want to note we have reached out to the san francisco tenants - apartments association and we appreciate their comments and their input on this legislation that's been incorporated. with that, colleagues, i would

ask for your consideration and specifically ask for your support of this legislation today. thank you >> thank you supervisor campos. supervisor kim. i want to thank supervisor campos i'm so i can myself for all you all who worked on this legislation. it's been a long time coming too the supervisor brought this back and also supported it on the ballot several years ago. of course, there were complications so i'm glad we're able to fought this. while there are many perimeters that prevents landlord from rover the unit and protects the

tenant. how to deal with harassment and supervisor campos listed many examples we hear about from constituents. so i want to again reiterate my support and am glad we're able to have a foufrm by which to manage those types of complaints >> thank you, supervisor. there is a presentation from department or do we go to - and a okay open this up for public comment it will be 2 minutes. i have two public come cards there are whether you cards in the front you can fill out. so please silence all electronic devices. cell phones >> (calling name >> (calling names)

come on up. >> good afternoon. i'm tommy i'm with the housing rights committee of san francisco. we're absolutely in support of this legislation. as a counselor at the housing rights committee i can attest to the fact that harassment is indeed open the revises in san francisco. i've been a counselor there for 15 years i've not received the level of complaints about harassments it because the real estate market it hot and the desire of new landlords that are spectators and investors who buy building they want a tenant out so they use ever take tick you can imagine. they've certainly been

threatening to call mitigation on tenants and then lockouts and in some cases they don't accept rent they have to just leave. bow outs, of course, are a form of harassment especially, when your constantly telling the tenant to get out or here islam to accept - give you a thousand dollars. the tablets are terrified and leave. this legislation is long overdue and it should be passed. thank you >> thank you. next speaker, please let me call the other 3 cards i have and line up. i apologize. i can't read this

name. (calling names). >> hi, i'm renee i'm a could you recall with the tenant union and in favor of this legislation. like tommy i've seen an increase of people coming in with complaints from e-mails and phone calls to physical threats and assaults. most egress it the threat on tenants and the bullying to accept buy outs you know tenants come in and/or and they're forced to face a impanel their notes aware of. and that's the landlord will just aisle them as they claim. you know the behavior i hear from some of the landlords makes

me wonder if there's something in the water if being a san francisco landlord makes them crazy maybe they're drinking too many sugary benches we need some consistence on the behavior of those landowners >> thank you. next speaker, please i have a card from antonio gonzales. >> hi. >> (speaking spanish.) >> good afternoon. supervisors i think it is due time for us to fight for strong protections against harassment and against the displacement and

evictions they cause. >> (speaking spanish.) >> i'm a volunteer receptionist it and i see people coming in our offices everyday with harassment cases with eviction cases and their suppressed and upset they come in in tears telling me about the behavior they're having to a face from their landlords.

>> (speaking spanish.) >> one can i a woman came in and let me know her landlord called her a dirty wetback and she needed to leave because she was the owner and could do whatever she wanted to with her home. >> (speaking spanish.) >> the landlord called the police and lied to them about what was happening in the home and thankfully the police explicit believe the landlord and they didn't take the case any further. i think it's important for us to

take the time and lose our fears and stand for the rights we have >> (speaking spanish.) >> and we're very thankful and we are thankful for you to take this situation into your hands and pass this legislation and protect the people community. thank you

>> thank you. next speaker, please. >> >> (speaking spanish.) >> i live in a 9 unit building on 24th and harrison and as of now only 2 of us are left or three of us are left 6 units have been vacated.

>> (speaking spanish.) >> new owner bought our property over the summer and sent us a buy outlier he was going to giving us $3,500 if we don't leave he's going to be evicting us with an ellis eviction. most of my neighborhoods have left the city their no way they're to be able to find housing with the same affordability at the harrison

street >> (speaking spanish.) >> so i that it's incredibly unfair because this landlord is wanting to make more profit he is targeting us. because of my sons academic

exhaust achievement he wants to study by the way, law he wakes up at 6 clock in the morning and so does my husband. i think it's incredibly unfair those landlords are jeopardizing the dreams of me and my family and my children to be something of what we were >> (speaking spanish.) >> thank you very much for listening to my testimony and for taking the time to do what you all can to do something about this housing crisis.

>> thank you. next speaker, plea please. >> (speaking spanish.) >> i am a member of a

community and been here nor seven years. the property owner called me a while ago and said to leave where were me and my family supposed to go he didn't care and wanted us to leave. i remember that can i my wife cried and my children were scared. to this day i told him we weren't going to leave first of all, because the eviction was 11 and again, he said he didn't care and started calling me everyday and my work and asked me where were my priorities were they at my job or did i not to be at work to take care of my

housing. >> (speaking spanish.) >> we don't stay at home we try to keep ourselves busy out in the street we're afraid the landlord is going to try to talk to us. his son came and offered a thousand dollars