Building Inspection Commission backs fee increase to restore code‑enforcement outreach funding after extensive public testimony

The Building Inspection Commission unanimously recommended that the Board of Supervisors advance Ordinance File 250592, a package of fee changes for the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) that the department says is necessary to stabilize operations and restore grant funding for tenant‑facing code‑enforcement outreach.

The recommendation came after a lengthy presentation from Alex Koskinen, DBI deputy director for administration, and more than two hours of public comment from tenants, tenant advocates and landlord‑industry representatives pressing the commission to restore funding for two community programs—the Code Enforcement Outreach Program (CEOP) and the SRO Families United Collaborative—used to assist tenants in unsafe or uninhabitable housing.

Koskinen told commissioners the department needs the fee increases in the budget it submitted to the mayor and the board and that the mayor’s office has proposed amendments shifting some costs. "We are collecting more revenue than was budgeted. We're spending slightly less than was budgeted," Koskinen said during the finance briefing, describing the…