Community groups and SRO tenants urge DBI commissioners to restore $5.2 million in funding

At the June 21 meeting of the Building Inspection Commission, scores of SRO tenants, organizers and community groups urged commissioners to restore funding for the SRO Families United Collaborative and related community programs, saying the services are essential for habitability, language access and rapid response to dangerous housing conditions.

"I'm here to urge all the commissioner, please do not reduce or start, continue funding the program," said Jackie, a housing counselor with the Chinatown Community Development Center. Jackie and other speakers described work that helps monolingual and low-income tenants report problems, get repairs and navigate enforcement.

Several speakers gave concrete examples of problems resolved through the collaborative programs: persistent leaks and clogged toilets in small SRO rooms; nonfunctional heating systems; unauthorized electrical wiring; rodent infestations; and a recent apartment fire response in which organizers coordinated with Red Cross and delivered emergency supplies. Chunping Huang, an ESOL organizer at Chinatown CDC, told commissioners her team had tracked hundreds of building problems and asked the commission to "help us restore the 5,200,000 budget." Speakers from Housing Rights Committee, Just Cause, Dolores Street Community Services and the Chinese Progressive Association described long-running partnerships with DBI inspectors and said community-based organizations (CBOs) are key to reaching tenants who lack internet access or English proficiency.

Jerry Dratler, who opened the public comment period with a separate complaint about alleged illegal subdivisions and enforcement failures at a specific address, tied enforcement shortcomings to the larger funding discussion, saying failures to inspect and finalize permits have created life-safety risks that community advocates help mitigate.

Organizers pressed commissioners to consider alternatives to front-line cuts, including raising targeted landlord or developer fees rather than eliminating services. Housing Rights Committee speakers noted DBI had not raised certain landlord fees since 2006 and suggested fee adjustments could cover community program costs.

Why it matters: The SRO collaboratives provide language-access outreach, tenant counseling, fire-prevention training, and immediate casework that community groups say prevents homelessness and protects families in cramped, shared units. Several presenters said cuts scheduled in the mayor's phase of the budget would take effect July 1 unless the Mayor and Board of Supervisors restore the line items.

The commission did not make a final budget decision during public comment. Commissioners acknowledged receiving the testimony and said the topic would recur during budget deliberations and the department's forthcoming fee study.