Supervisor Avalos introduces resolution urging city support for homeowners, calls for state and federal action on foreclosures

Supervisor Avalos introduced a resolution urging San Francisco officials to support the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, to direct city lobbyists to back state reforms, to support Attorney General Kamala Harris's call for a suspension of foreclosures on loans controlled by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and to pursue principal reductions and other steps to help keep families in their homes.

Avalos described the resolution as part of a broader local effort to hold banks accountable for foreclosure and loan-modification practices that community groups and the board say have harmed homeowners in San Francisco neighborhoods. He said San Francisco has neighborhoods with particularly high foreclosure rates in Districts 10 and 11 and that the resolution urges city departments and officials to proactively work to prevent unlawful foreclosure practices. Avalos said community groups including ACORN and the California Reinvestment Coalition and neighborhood organizations contributed to the drafting and that the item will likely be heard in Land Use Committee along with Assessor Phil Ting's foreclosure study; he also expressed hope the Attorney General's office would participate in committee hearings.

The measure is an urging resolution; no formal vote on the resolution was recorded during the meeting. Avalos said the city should also explore what local options and discretion it has to support households, and he urged banks to suspend foreclosure activity until state and federal measures protecting homeowners are in place. He described dual-tracking and predatory practices, where a bank pursues foreclosure while simultaneously negotiating loan modifications.

Why this matters: The introduction formalizes the board's request that San Francisco align local lobbying and policy work with state-level homeowner protections and signals the board's intent to spotlight foreclosure practices in committee hearings. Supervisor Avalos indicated the item will be considered in Land Use Committee alongside a local assessor's study, opening a forum for state and city officials and community groups to present evidence and propose local responses.

Next steps: Supervisor Avalos said the resolution will be referred to committee for hearing; he asked that the Attorney General's office be invited to participate in the discussion and noted that the city may consider additional local measures once the committee process begins.