Committee advances 'Union at Home 2' amendments to clarify good-faith negotiations and add translation time

The Rules Committee voted unanimously on Sept. 18 to forward amendments to the Administrative Code that clarify tenant-association rights and landlords’ obligation to confer in good faith and add a requirement that adequate time be provided for translation services.

Supervisor Connie Chan, the item’s sponsor, framed the measure as a follow-up to last year’s tenant-organizing law. Chan said the changes clarify what “good faith” means, require landlords to provide responsible personnel who can negotiate, and add a specific translation-time provision (identified in the draft as line 3, page 3, line 12) to help monolingual tenants participate meaningfully in tenant-association meetings and landlord negotiations. “Those they actually need more time to have these notices to translate it in order for them to be prepared for these meetings,” Chan said.

Chan flagged the scale of corporate ownership in the city, citing the recent sale by Veritas of 75 buildings to Ballast Investments — equivalent, she said, to more than 2,000 units that could be affected by organizing and ownership transition.

Colleagues including Chair Dorsey, Vice Chair Walton (who asked to be added as a co-sponsor) and Supervisor Safai voiced support; Safai emphasized the bill’s importance for seniors and limited-English residents. Tenant-rights and anti-displacement groups testified in favor: Brad Hearn and Lana Maybaum (Housing Rights Committee), Molly Goldberg (San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition), Kean Chiquinetta (Jobs with Justice), Dave Masson (700 Church Tenants Association) and tenants who described organizing benefits and specific implementation concerns. Masson recounted a rent-board mediation under ordinance 32-22 and said the amendment would clarify landlords’ duty to provide personnel able to confer in good faith.

Vice Chair Walton moved to accept an amendment adding adequate time for translation services; the committee recorded unanimous ayes and the amended ordinance was forwarded to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

The next step is full Board consideration, at which point the Rent Board may be expected to issue rules and regulations to implement aspects of the ordinance.