San Francisco Mission District Tenants Turning Victorian Home Into Co-Op To Avoid Ellis Act Eviction
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Some tenants in San Francisco's Mission District have come up with a way to avoid falling victim to the city's affordable housing crisis, as they have turned a sprawling Victorian into a co-op, that they will manage themselves.
Tenant Elizabeth Castaneda said she is still stunned that she will not be evicted by the new owner of 2976 23rd Street. "It's kind of hard to believe. It's wonderful," she said.
San Francisco Mission District Tenants Turning Victorian Home Into Co-Op To Avoid Ellis Act Eviction
That's because the new owner won't be a developer who kicks out tenants under the Ellis Act. Instead, the landlord has agreed to sell his 14-unit building to the San Francisco Community Land Trust, a move engineered by the tenants themselves, and applauded by San Francisco Supervisor David Campos.
"What's so incredible about this effort is that it is a grassroots, driven by residents," Campos said.
Under the deal, the residents will run the apartment building as a co-op, with a 200 year commitment from the Land Trust, to keep it affordable housing.
Tommi Avicolli Mecca with San Francisco's Housing Rights Committee said this development should be an inspiration to all those struggling with the city's housing crisis.
"It's not impossible. This dream can happen. This can spread. We can take over a large portion of the city and create truly affordable housing that will be affordable forever," he said.
The San Francisco Community Land Trust is a membership-based organization whose mission is to create permanently affordable, resident-controlled housing for low-to-moderate income people in San Francisco through community ownership of the land.
