Committee raises Ellis Act relocation payment to $10,000 and sends ordinance to full Board

The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 16 voted to send an ordinance to the full Board that would raise the base Ellis Act relocation payment to $10,000 and clarify local code to conform with state law.

Chair Supervisor Mirna Melgar opened discussion by noting a Budget and Legislative Analyst (BLA) report showing median buyout amounts were about twice existing Ellis relocation payments and that median sale value after an Ellis withdrawal rose about 223 percent. To better mitigate displacement, Melgar said the ordinance raises the base relocation amount to $10,000, preserves annual CPI increases, and maintains additional relocation amounts for seniors and disabled tenants.

Melgar said the ordinance also cleans up local administrative code to align with the state statute and to clarify the right‑of‑return when an owner rescinds or loses court challenges to an Ellis notice, responding to testimony from eviction defense attorneys that local language can be vague or exploited to avoid re‑offering vacated units.

Supervisor Dean Preston praised the proposal as an important mitigation step, describing Ellis Act evictions as frequently driven by real estate speculation and particularly harmful to tenants; he thanked staff and noted some stronger changes may require state action, citing AB 2050 as an example of pending legislation that would impose holding periods. Several public callers supported the increase: a caller urged additional funds to account for psychological stress of displacement; Tracy Flandrick recounted being Ellis‑evicted in 2013 and said owners later offered return at several times prior rent; and Anastasia Yovanopoulos of the San Francisco Tenants Union called $10,000 a "big step forward."

Chair Melgar moved to approve the ordinance and send it to the full Board. The clerk recorded ayes from the members present and announced the motion passed.

Next steps: The ordinance will proceed to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration.