San Francisco mulls rent control expansion to 100,000 apartments

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco leaders are considering a plan that could extend rent control to an additional 100,000 apartments in the city.

Housing affordability is a constant focus in San Francisco. Board of Supervisors President and mayoral candidate Aaron Peskin has proposed a plan to increase the number of buildings subject to rent control.

Under current state law, only buildings constructed before 1979 are covered by rent control. However, Californians will decide whether to change that when they vote on Proposition 33 on the November ballot.

"This new ordinance, which we are introducing today, will expand rent control automatically when the state pre-emption is lifted," said Peskin.

Fred Sherburn-Zimmer of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco said the proposal could greatly help renters grappling with housing affordability, one of the city's most pressing issues.

"Supervisor Peskin put together a no-nonsense simple measure that just says that buildings that were built after 1979 up until this year will be under rent control if we ever get rid of this problematic state law called Costa-Hawkins," said Sherburn-Zimmer.

More than 60% of San Franciscans rent their homes, and some residents argue fixing the rent prices would allow more people to stay in the city.

"So if there is a new law that includes every building, doesn't matter, like, regardless of the year of the building, then that would be good," said Said Bahmad.

While the changes might preserve the city's population, the long-term repercussions of switching so many market-rate rental units to rent-controlled status are uncertain, according to real estate attorney Manuel Fishman.

He said while it could keep more people in the city, some developers caution it could discourage new construction investment in the city.

A majority of the Board of Supervisors supports the proposal, which would affect multi-unit buildings but not individual homes. It would go into effect whenever there is a change to California's rent control laws.