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DBI outlines backlog-cleanup plan after review of 151,000 complaints over two decades
Summary
Deputy Director Ed Sweeney told the commission DBI received roughly 151,000 complaints over 20 years (about 68,000 NOVs issued) and is instituting personnel and process changes to abate a large share of outstanding cases; staff expects substantial reductions in outstanding counts within 60 days.
San Francisco — In a data‑heavy briefing April 18, Deputy Director Ed Sweeney and housing‑division staff told the Building Inspection Commission they are taking steps to reduce a long‑standing backlog of housing complaints and Notices of Violation (NOVs).
Sweeney said the apparent headline counts that circulate in public (for example, 10,000 outstanding complaints or 5,000 outstanding NOVs) must be read in context. "Over the last 20 years there were roughly 151,000 complaints and 68,000 NOVs issued," he said. Many cases flagged as "outstanding" are paperwork artifacts or matters where permits were later obtained and finaled; DBI staff have identified a substantial subset that can be administratively abated without additional enforcement activity.
Operational changes include redeploying staff to code enforcement, adding a dedicated staffer to speed the notice‑to‑order‑of‑abatement pipeline, and a renewed emphasis on district inspectors to check for related complaints when they perform routine inspections. Sweeney said about a thousand matters currently have orders of abatement and roughly 80 complex cases are with the City Attorney's Office.
Rosemarie Boskey (housing division) gave casework details: the housing division has about 4,700 open cases (roughly 2,700 complaints and 1,900 routine inspections), averages about 3,200 new complaints a year, and has collected more than $3 million in assessment‑of‑cost recoveries since 1995. Boskey said an ordinance that took effect in January allows earlier assessment of costs and a monthly $52 fee for noncompliance, which she credited with encouraging faster compliance.
Commissioners pressed for faster public reporting of reductions in the headline counts so neighborhoods and tenants can see progress. Sweeney promised updated, cleaner numbers within about 60 days and described improvements to complaint tracking and coordination with permit tracking systems.
What happens next: DBI will return with a more detailed report and a PowerPoint in the coming weeks showing cleaned case counts and a timeline for abatement reductions.
