Committee renews Eviction Defense Collaborative contract to expand rental-assistance distribution

The Homelessness and Behavioral Health Select Committee on June 2 voted to forward a three-year amendment to the Eviction Defense Collaborative (EDC) agreement that funds distribution of rental assistance through the San Francisco Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).

The amendment would extend the grant term through June 30, 2026, and increase the not-to-exceed amount by about $14.9 million to a total of approximately $24.8 million. HSH said EDC will increase annual households served under this agreement from about 370 to 464 households and emphasized EDC’s role pairing rental assistance with legal eviction-defense services.

Nick Menard of the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s office reviewed budget details, noting an annual grant budget around $4.6 million starting next fiscal year and that the grant is primarily funded by the general fund. He said providers are generally meeting performance requirements and that a backlog earlier in the spring had led to a temporary pause of intake that has since been addressed.

Krista Alderson, interim co-executive director of EDC, described two decades of eviction-defense work and presented service outcomes and survey follow-up data showing high rates of stable housing retention among respondents. Laura Hernandez, EDC program director, described a tracking and outreach system that identifies tenants with pending eviction-related court dates and helps them apply for ERAP funds before hearings.

Supervisors thanked EDC for its work and unanimously voted to send the amended agreement to the full Board as a committee report. HSH said it will return to the Board as needed to manage contract implementation and reporting.