Citywide Coalitions Expect Supervisors to Pass Landmark Tenant Protections
PRESS RELEASE for Monday, December 15, 2025
San Francisco, CA – Today, the Board of Supervisors’ Land Use Committee will vote to pass Supervisor Chyanne Chen’s Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) onto the full Board of Supervisors. The TPO gives tenants a fighting chance to keep their homes. This complex legislation creates, clarifies, and implements protections at the outset, before demolition permits are granted, to ensure tenants are not forced out before receiving the assistance to which they are entitled. These protections are long overdue, and have become even more necessary because of state laws and local programs that incentivize landlord harassment, illegal buyouts, and unlawful evictions.
The SF Anti-Displacement Coalition (SFADC) and the Race & Equity in all Planning Coalition (REP-SF) look forward to the Board of Supervisors voting tomorrow to adopt the TPO, which, when passed, will be our City's strongest defense to protect tenants from the displacement that recent state laws allow. SFADC and REP-SF appreciate that the TPO has broad support from the Board. This speaks to Supervisor Chen’s leadership and the importance of the protections this legislation provides for tenants.
SFADC and REP-SF are grateful to Supervisor Chen, as well as Supervisor Melgar and Malena Leon-Farrera from SF Planning for working collaboratively with our coalitions and for all their hard work to make the TPO the strongest piece of legislation possible to protect tenants within the limitations of state law.
“Tenants across the city are already facing increased displacement from profit-driven speculation. The Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) provides tenants with essential tools to defend against displacement and ensure they are able to stay in their homes and communities. The fact that state laws allow the demolition of tenant-occupied, rent-controlled units is a threat that requires a strong response. REP-SF is grateful to Supervisor Chen for leading this effort to provide tenants with the strongest protections possible,” said Jeantelle Laberinto of REP-SF.
“For several months, we’ve worked together with a shared commitment to making the Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) as strong as possible to protect tenants facing demolition and redevelopment of their homes. We know displacement pressure will come in the form of misinformation, harassment, illegal buyouts, and unlawful evictions. We’re grateful to Supervisor Chen for her leadership, Supervisor Melgar for her supportive amendments, and both for working with our coalitions to address these longstanding and intensifying threats,” said Meg Heisler of SFADC.
“After many months of hard work that engaged experts from a range of sectors, including Rent Board staff, tenant advocates, attorneys working to defend tenants, nonprofit affordable housing developers, and experts in relocation law, the TPO represents the best possible outcome. We also look forward to supporting Supervisor Melgar’s resolution calling on the City to proactively advocate for changes to state law so we can continue to strengthen the TPO in the near future,” said Polly Marshall, former Rent Board Commissioner.
Within the limitations set by the State's Housing Crisis Act, SB 330, the TPO:
Requires that developers disclose their plans to demolish;
Requires that developers provide early noticing to tenants of their rights;
Guarantees that tenants will receive the maximum possible relocation assistance;
Enforces eligible tenants' rights to return to a comparable unit at an affordable rent;
Prevents landlords and project sponsors from being able to abuse the Ellis Act, Owner-Move-In evictions, Buyouts and Harassment to displace tenants and absolve project sponsors from their obligations to provide tenants with relocation assistance and their right to return.
Background:
The Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) prevents wrongful evictions and mitigates harms to tenants facing displacement due to the demolition and redevelopment of their homes.
This effort was led by the SF Anti-Displacement Coalition (SFADC) and the Race & Equity in all Planning Coalition (REP-SF).
At City Hall, the lead sponsor has been Supervisor Chyanne Chen. Her Legislative Aide, Charlie Sciammas led the D11 office's work on this legislation. Supervisor (and Chair of the Land Use and Transportation Committee) Myrna Melgar has played a critical role in authoring several supportive, important amendments to the legislation with Jennifer Fieber leading that work in her office.
Malena Leon-Farrera from the Planning Department’s Equity Division did much of the heavy lifting through extensive research, drafting, and coordination with Supervisors Chen and Melgar’s offices.
Supervisor Chen duplicated the file while it was in Committee in order for two important issues to be addressed. Replacement units in the Priority Equity Geographies will have deeper affordability, and the definition of what constitutes a demolition will be strengthened.
Planning Commissioners Theresa Imperial and Gilbert Williams requested that there be a special hearing on this issue before the Planning Commission. That hearing took place on February 27 of this year and kicked off the drafting process, which is now culminating in the Board’s vote nearly 10 months later.
This legislation alone is not enough to mitigate the harms caused by Mayor Lurie’s upzoning plan or the host of state laws incentivizing the displacement of our communities. SFADC’s and REP-SF's work on the TPO began in response to the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330, also called the Housing Accountability Act)—a state bill that overrides local controls and enables the demolition of sound, habitable, rent-controlled, tenant-occupied housing—and it has only become more urgent.
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About the San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition (SFADC)
The San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition (SFADC) is a group of tenants rights organizations and allies who organize against the soaring evictions and rent increases in our city, which have resulted in the displacement of thousands of San Franciscans.
