Planning staff, rent board and MOHCD outline tenant protections and new housing inventory

On Dec. 14 the Planning Department convened an informational briefing on tenant protections, bringing speakers from the Rent Board and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to outline enforcement tools, relocation benefits and implementation work to protect tenants.

Joey Kumas of the Rent Board reviewed the San Francisco Rent Ordinance (Admin. Code §37), eviction protections, and the new housing inventory project: "We currently estimate that there's approximately a 155,000 rent controlled units in San Francisco," he said, while clarifying that the housing inventory documents occupancy status but does not collect tenant names, incomes or full rent histories.

Hugo Ramirez of MOHCD described eviction prevention and stabilization programs and said city funding for tenant services has grown substantially in recent years (from the low millions to tens of millions annually). Staff from Planning summarized local code requirements (including Section 3.17 and SB 330/AB 2011 intersections) and stressed that demolition of protected, tenant‑occupied housing triggers replacement and potentially local right‑to‑return under state law.

Public commenters—tenant advocates and neighborhood groups—urged stronger enforcement, improvements to the housing inventory's accuracy, and more proactive posting and notification when demolition or state ministerial pathways are used. Commissioner Tanner and staff discussed operational steps, including better coordination with DBI and outreach tools such as the Planning Department's "My Neighborhood" map signup and the planned web page for ministerial/project tracking.

The briefing did not require a vote. Staff signaled ongoing interagency work to refine the inventory, enforcement protocols and public notice methods.