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Committee backs sending rent‑control charter amendment to full board after debate over scope and impacts
Summary
A third‑draft charter amendment would let the Board require rent control on new units created by local zoning changes (when not preempted by state law); the committee approved sending the measure to the full board as a committee report amid debate about economic impact analysis and lost rent‑controlled units.
The Rules Committee voted to send to the full Board a third‑draft charter amendment that would require developers who obtain increased residential density or height through local planning code changes to subject new market‑rate units to rent control by regulatory agreement, except where state law preempts local control.
Chair Aaron Peskin framed the proposal as an attempt to ensure market‑rate rents of today function as affordable rents of tomorrow and noted the measure allows the Board by ordinance to adopt a phase‑in or grace period not to exceed 15 years. Supporters emphasized voters should have the chance to decide the approach; Supervisor Connie Chan spoke from personal experience about how rent control stabilized families, and multiple public callers urged more comprehensive rent‑control measures and assessments of the units lost to conversions or redevelopment.
Opponents, including real‑estate and development commenters, warned the change would deter investment, reduce requests for additional density and height, and called for deeper economic analysis. The committee recorded a unanimous committee vote to send the measure as a committee report to the full Board where the public and colleagues will continue to debate the ballot timing, effective dates, and implementation details.
