Committee advances ordinance extending eviction protections through Dec. 31, 2021, with 25% payment threshold

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on June 21 forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors an ordinance that would prohibit landlords from evicting residential tenants for nonpayment of rent between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2021 when the nonpayment resulted from COVID‑19 hardship and the tenant has paid at least 25% of the rent owed for the covered period.

Supervisor Dean Preston, who introduced the ordinance and a minor amendment to its findings, said the local measure is designed to align protections for the July–December window with the state program under SB 91, which was set to expire on June 30. Preston described the amendment as non‑substantive and said it clarifies that the local ordinance provides protections that are "more protective" than a referenced state law (transcript reference: "AB 14 82"). He also noted a typographical fix in the draft and urged speed, saying many tenants face imminent risk if state protections lapse.

The committee heard about 19 callers in the public comment period, representing a range of perspectives. Several tenants and tenant advocates urged immediate extension through Dec. 31 and warned of mass displacement if protections end; one caller said, "failure to extend the moratorium until December 31 is going to be a catastrophic failure of government." Several landlords and property managers described severe financial strains after months of unpaid rent, urged verification procedures for hardship declarations, and asked for nuance in the 25% requirement's timing so owners are not unpaid for a prolonged period. Charlie Goss of the San Francisco Apartment Association urged the committee to consider phasing due dates or other timing mechanisms to reduce owner hardship.

In response to public comments, Supervisor Preston clarified that criminal conduct or nuisance behavior is not covered by the payment‑only protections in the ordinance. He emphasized that the ordinance does not erase rent debt but temporarily removes eviction as a remedy during the emergency period, and urged landlords and tenants to participate in rent‑relief programs. Preston said the federal government was expected to provide a cumulative $90,000,000 in rent relief for San Francisco, and his office is working to supplement those funds with local dollars from Proposition I.

Preston moved the amendment and then moved to forward the ordinance as amended with a positive committee recommendation. The clerk called the roll; Supervisors Peskin, Preston and Melgar each voted "aye." Both the amendment and the motion to forward passed on 3–0 votes. The ordinance, as amended, will be placed on the full Board agenda on June 29.

What the ordinance would do and what it would not do: the amendment and committee discussion made explicit that the rule applies to nonpayment caused by COVID‑19 hardship; it would prohibit nonpayment evictions and late fees for the specified July–December period when tenants meet the 25% payment threshold. Committee members and public commenters disputed how to balance landlord financial hardship and tenant protections; several callers urged stronger verification of hardship claims while tenant advocates stressed immediate protections to prevent displacement.

The committee record shows the item advanced with a positive recommendation; the Board may consider the ordinance and any further amendments on June 29.