Supes Tables "Green" Rent Increase Scheme

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Randy Shaw
Beyond Chron

After hearing from angry tenant representatives and recognizing that the legislation had been so poorly drafted as to be unworkable, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee voted to table a measure that would increase rents on the city's already financially-strapped tenants. Sponsored by Supervisor Alioto-Pier, the legislation was marketed as boosting water conservation. Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union and other speakers noted, however, that the legislation was a rent increase measure masquerading as helping water conservation. In fact, it became clear from testimony by staff of the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of the Environment that leading officials of these agencies lack even the most minimal consciousness of the economic struggles faced by the city's tenants. As I pointed out in my own testimony, the alignment of the city's environmental leadership with landlords against tenants is a political strategy that will only undermine the conservation cause.

For those who believe attending public hearings is a waste of time, yesterday's Land Use committee hearing provides counter-evidence. Both Supervisors Maxwell and Peskin seemed incline to support the alleged "compromise" on water passthroughs, until speakers revealed the truth about the measure. By the time the public comment period was over, even Sponsor Alioto-Pier realized her legislation was not ready for prime-time.

Landlord's Double-Billing

The PUC and Department of Environment staff that worked with Alioto-Pier to craft the legislation seemed completely ignorant of the fact that landlords already get compensated for water increases through both the annual rent increase, and the operating and maintenance passthrough. Department of Environment chair Jared Blumenfeld appeared unaware that tens of thousands of tenants would be hurt by the rent increases---one suspects that he and other environmental staffers are mostly in contact with upscale Marina and Pacific Heights tenants, rather than those whose incomes are more representative of the city's tenant population.

Not a single speaker for the measure responded to claims that tenants already compensate landlords for excessive water use. A few bought the idea pushed by Alioto-Pier that tenant hardships would be granted to all tenants who needed such, not realizing that winning a hardship requires that a petition be filed, and that most of the city's tenants do not financially qualify.

"Green" Rent Increases

While the PUC and DOE kept talking about the legislation representing a "compromise," tenant groups were never part of the negotiations and never signed off on the legislation.

Those representing environmental concerns in San Francisco felt comfortable ignoring the 70% of the population that rents, while working in such close conjunction with the SF Apartment Association and Coalition for Better Housing that one got the impression that the latter groups were co-sponsors of the legislation.

In my upcoming book, I describe how the United Farm Workers had trouble winning mainstream environmental group support for their grape boycott, since green groups did not see a connection to labor issues. Ultimately, the UFW helped build what became known as the environmental justice movement.

Yet in San Francisco City Hall on July 28, 2008, city environmental officials appeared to be as ignorant of economic justice concerns as environmental groups were in the early 1970's---ignoring the progress groups like the Sierra Club have made since that time.

I have found tenant activists to be generally very strong environmentalists. Why the city's environmental staff is willing to alienate this constituency is a mystery, and will only make the enactment of water and energy conservation measures more difficult.

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