Airbnb’s own study shows 20% of Airbnb hosts do NOT use the residential unit as a home as required by the law! Yet Airbnb argues that they are not making the housing crisis worse. 66 percent of San Franciscans think Airbnb should be fined for posting unregistered units, and 63 percent would support a ballot measure in the works for this November. Let your Supervisor and Mayor (especially pro-Airbnb Mayor Lee, Supervisors London Breed, Malia Cohen, Mark Farrell and Scott Wiener) know that you want more regulation for Airbnb. The vote on the competing Supervisor amendments for Airbnb has been postponed until July 14, 2015. See the 48 Hills article for more information.
Stop Airbnb from “Sharing” Our Homes, June 9!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 2 pm at the San Francisco City Hall Board of Supervisors Chambers, the Board of Supervisors will be voting on the two competing ordinances about how the city regulates Airbnb and other short term rentals.
We need to be there to support Supervisor Campos’ version, which will actually hold hold companies like Airbnb accountable by having strong enforcement and prevents commercial Airbnbs from permanently turning housing into hotels.
The Mayor’s version will only worsen the problem, as it will make enforcement impossible. Given Ron Conway’s (major Airbnb investor) history of campaign cash given to Mayor Lee, how could we expect anything else?
We need to send a strong message to City Hall to stop allowing a $20 billion company to “share” our homes!
HOMES NOT HOTELS!
If you cannot make it to City Hall, email or call your Supervisor and tell them your name and address and that you want your Supervisor to support Campos’ version of the Airbnb amendment.
No Moratorium on Luxury Housing in the Mission Neighborhood!
The hearing at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on June 2, 2015 on the moratorium for more development of luxury housing in the Mission district of San Francisco was packed with speakers overwhelmingly in support of the proposal. Public comment lasted almost 8 hours. A large majority of voters also support the moratorium. The moratorium would give the neighborhood time to plan for development of affordable housing, but Supervisors Scott Wiener, Mark Farrell, Katy Tang and Julie Christensen voted against it, blocking the moratorium’s passage. The proposal may go to the ballot.
No Violence as Claimed at SF Democratic County Central Committee
Tim Redmond reports that he was at the SF Democratic County Central Committee meeting that the SF Chronicle describes by a reporter who wasn’t even at the meeting. Tim Redmond’s eyewitness account and a video contradict San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener’s claim of people getting in Wiener’s face. The video is shaky at the end as the videographer is trying to follow Scott Wiener through the crowd, but the crowd appears disinterested in Scott Wiener as he leaves.
Rent Control Is the Best Method for Affordable Housing
Mayor Lee and Supervisor Wiener are proposing the city build more affordable housing. Lee’s plan is contingent on approval by legislators or the voters (shifting the burden from Lee to others). Also, building enough affordable housing would require the same amount of construction as from 1920 to the present. Rent control requires no new construction. It’s cheap, fast, environmentally-friendly, and does not disrupt communities. Tell Mayor Lee and your Supervisor to strengthen rent control.
Stop Low-Fault Evictions, Just Cause 2.0
Let your Supervisor know that you support stopping low-fault evictions.Tell Supervisor Jane Kim about low-fault eviction cases, preferably with names and contact information for the tenants. She is looking for data to back up the need for her new legislation stopping these low-fault evictions.
Tenants are getting evicted for causes that are minor lease violations such as:
- Claiming the tenant is a serious nuisance by alleging minor violations pf the lease such as hanging up laundry or moving bikes through the hallway.
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Claiming the tenant is a serious nuisance where the alleged nuisance occurred a long time ago and is no longer a current problem.
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Claiming the tenant is using the rental unit for an “illegal purpose” where the tenant’s illegal purpose is occupying an illegal unit that was rented to the tenant by the landlord.
Airbnb Removes Affordable Housing
Tell San Francisco Supervisors Malia Cohen and Scott Wiener that the Airbnb legislation needs enforcement with suggested talking points. Also let your State Assemblyman know you oppose proposed legislation to let Airbnb off the hook for taxes by signing a petition.
Short-term rentals are very risky for the tenant host and reduces vacant rental housing stock by as much as 43 percent. The report released by San Francisco Budget Analyst Harvey Rose makes a distinction between commercial hosts who book in excess of 58 days and casual hosts.
Airbnb had been operating illegally by not paying taxes and enriches investor Ron Conway who funds legislation and politicians against tenants. After pressure by politicians allied with Airbnb such as (Mayor Lee, London Breed, Malia Cohen, Mark Farrell, and Scott Wiener) since the back taxes was a potential political problem, Airbnb has finally paid tens of millions of dollars in back taxes including penalties. Some insurance companies are refusing to insure buildings with these short-term rentals due to the high turnover of occupants that are not well vetted, after finding out through litigation against the landlord about their illegal rentals.
Mission Moratorium on Development Proposed
Supervisor David Campos introduced legislation to the Board of Supervisors to temporarily halt market-rate housing development to give time to plan for more affordable housing. Supervisors Avalo, Kim, Mar, and Yee are co-sponsors. Although polls show voters support a moratorium support from the other supervisors is expected to be difficult. Contact Supervisors Breed, Christensen, Cohen, Farrell, Tang, and Wiener to get them to support the moratorium!
Film “The Future of Parkmerced” 5/7/15, 8p@ATA
The film “The Future of Parkmerced” by Nick Pasquariello will be showing as part of the open screenings at the Artists’ Television Access at 992 Valencia St. in San Francisco on May 7, 2015 starting at 8p. The film shows interviews and shots of the beautiful Park Merced rent-controlled residential units that will be demolished due to a decision by the majority San Francisco Supervisors (including still current Supervisors Malia Cohen, Mark Farrell, and Scott Wiener) to allow the removal of the units for new units that are not required to be rent-controlled. The argument was made that the new units would be more environmentally-friendly when the new construction will be more environmentally-unfriendly than allowing the old units to remain. More removal of rent-controlled units have been allowed and are proposed by the majority of the San Francisco Supervisors who support developers (including Julie Christensen, London Breed, and Katy Tang). The developers are major campaign donors including for Mayor Ed Lee.
Tenants Rights Bootcamps
Tenant Rights Bootcamps are a neighborhood-by-neighborhood effort to empower renters to stand up to speculators and prevent displacement. Featuring tenant rights expert Dean Preston, the bootcamps provide an opportunity for renters to learn their rights and ways to organize and fight back.
Workshops will take place through the year. Please RSVP at the dates below.
Dean Preston
Dean is an experienced leader who has dedicated his life to standing up for tenants. The founder and Executive Director of California’s only statewide tenant rights organization, Dean has successfully advocated for laws that protect renters both in San Francisco and throughout California. As a statewide voice for tenant rights, Dean has defended tenants against eviction, fought against unsafe living conditions for families and led the charge to keep San Francisco affordable.
Dates
August 20 – Harvey Milk Center for the Arts – for people living with HIV
7:00pm @ 50 Scott Street in the Castro District