Objective HH.2 Protect residents from involuntary displacement

Indicators, Development Targets and Policies/Design Strategies

Indicators Development Targets Policies/Design Strategies
Primary
a. Change in SF income relative to regional change in income

Benchmark #1: If the project results in the demolition or loss of deed restricted, public, inclusionary, or rent-controlled housing, does the project replace the demolished/lost housing stock at a 1:1 ratio?

AND

Benchmark #2: Are relocation costs and compensation provided to displaced residents?    


Regulatory Minimum: Section 37.9C of the SF Rent Ordinance requires the landlord to pay relocation fees to tenants for no-fault evictions, including owner move-in, as well as capital improvement, demolition, removal of unit from housing use and substantial rehabilitation evictions. Relocation fees are increased every year on March 1st. Fees as of March 1, 2009 are $4,941 per tenant up to $14,825 per unit. Elderly or disabled tenants, as well as families with children under the age of 18 are entitled to an extra $3,295.  Relocation payments are also required in Ellis Act evictions.
  • Discourage the demolition of sound existing housing by requiring 1:1 replacement of affordable units or in-lieu fees paid to the City's affordable housing fund.1

  • Preserve the existing stock of residential hotels through increased management by non-profit housing organizations.1

  • Encourage more landlords to get their property Section 8 certified through incentives such as assistance with the approval process and tenant search.2
  • Ensure that HUD renews all existing Section 8 contracts.3
  • Educate tenants and landlords about tenants' rights and responsibilities - especially related to evictions, rent control, deposits, and maintenance.4
  • Encourage development agreements to include rent control commitments and provide model language to support this.5

  • Protect the affordability of units in existing buildings at risk of being converted to market rate housing by discouraging private property owners participating in affordable housing programs from terminating their participation (e.g., federally-insured mortgages, project-based Section 8 rental subsidies, low-income housing tax credit program, restricted by other sources such as tax-exempt bonds, CDBG, HOME, tax increment and density bonus/land use restrictions).6,1

  • Pass "Just Cause" eviction laws where tenant evictions are allowed only in certain circumstances (e.g., owner move-in, condominium conversion, failure to pay rent habitually).7
b. Rate of no-fault evictions

Same as above.
Secondary
c. Proportion of SF housing stock that is deed restricted, public, inclusionary, or rent-controlled

Same as above.

Health-based Rationale

  • Involuntary displacement can cause or contribute to mental stress, loss of supportive social networks, costly school and job relocations and increases risk for substandard housing and overcrowding.8
  • Increased mobility at childhood was strongly associated with adverse childhood events such as abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, smoking, suicide. Odds of health risks for adolescents with high mobility during childhood ranged from a 1.3 times higher risk for smoking to a 2.5 times higher risk for suicide. 9
  • Increased mobility in childhood (moving 3 or more times by the age of 7) resulted in a 36% increased risk of developing depression. 10
  • Increased mobility at childhood correlated to academic delay in children, school suspensions, emotional and behavioral problems. 11

Established Standards

  1. California Redevelopment Law, Section 33413 (a) requires that whenever dwelling units housing low- or moderate-income persons or families are destroyed or removed as part of a redevelopment project, the agency shall, within four years, develop or cause to be developed an equal number of replacement dwelling units, with an equal or greater number of bedrooms, at affordable housing costs to households of low- or moderate-income. Available at: http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/rda/rdalaw.html
1. SF General Plan Housing Element. http://www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp?id=41412
2. HUD, Section 8 Information for Landlords. http://www.hud.gov/groups/landlords.cfm
3. PolicyLink. http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.5136981/k.A41A/Expiring_Use.htm
4. SF Tenants Union. http://www.sftu.org/
5. Trinity Plaza Apartments: SF Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/15/BAGPED8Q3L1.DTL&hw=Chris+Daly&sn=009&sc=496
6. City of Los Angeles. Building Healthy Communities 101: How Can the Existing Stock of Affordable Housing be Preserved? http://www.lacity.org/lahd/curriculum/gettingfacts/preserving/index.html
7. PolicyLink, Just Cause Eviction. http://www.policylink.org/site/pp.aspx?c=lkIXLbMNJrE&b=5138069
8. Guzman C, Bhatia R, Durazo C. Anticipated Effects of Residential Displacement on Health: Results from Qualitative Research. San Francisco Department of Public Health, 2005. Available at: http://dphwww.sfdph.org/phes/publications/PHES_publications.htm
9. Dong M, Anda RF, Felitti VJ, et al. 2005. Childhood residential mobility and multiple health risks during adolescence and adulthood. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 159:1104-1110.
10. Gilman SE, Kawachi I, Fitzmaurice GM, Buka SL. 2003. Socio-economic status, family disruption and residential stability in childhood: relation to onset, recurrence and remission of major depression. Psychological Medicine 33:1341-1355.
11. Cooper M. 2001. Housing affordability: A children’ issue. Discussion Paper No. F-11. Canadian Policy Research Networks, Inc. Available at: http://www.cprn.com/en/doc.cfm?doc=176.