Tenant protections for those affected by COVID-19 now exist on three levels — the local, state and federal. Here’s a quick guide to what your rights are as a tenant affected by COVID-19. NOTE: this guide only applies to San Francisco tenants. If you live outside SF, contact Tenants Together. RENT OCTOBER – JANUARY Starting in October, a new state law (SB 3088) mandates that if you can’t pay rent for the months from October 2020 to January 2021 due to a COVID-19 hardship, you must sign a declaration of COVID-19 -related financial distress and pay 25% of the rent when rent is … (click for more)

Dearest Community, This last week has been trying for many of us, at the Housing Rights Committee of SF the health and safety of our community is of utmost importance. Which is why we are closing our offices until further notices and doing our part to stop the spread of COVID-19. We believe that physical distancing and social solidarity are both needed at this time which is why we are not distancing ourselves from our commitments to tenants in SF and will continue to provide the necessary services that keep thousands in their homes. We will still be providing services in … (click for more)

Op-ed by Amina Rubio & Susan Marsh (originally published 1/20/2020 in the SF Examiner – detailing tenants efforts to push Veritas to sell its buildings to the city or a non-speculative entity. To clarify: tenants do not have to move just because their building is for sale! They have the right to stay in their homes under their existing rental agreements, to organize and to fight landlord harassment intended to push them out so owners can jack the rents to market rate. Contact HRCSF for more details on your rights.) Veritas Should Sell Its Buildings to The City or a … (click for more)

A statewide coalition of California housing justice and tenants rights groups have sent a letter to State Sen. Scott Wiener and the California Legislature, opposing his land-use deregulation bill, SB 50. Those organizations include the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, San Francisco Tenants Union, the Coalition on Homelessness, San Diego Tenants Union, Tenant Sanctuary of Santa Cruz, the Sacramento Tenants Union, Tenants Together, Los Angeles-based Housing Is A Human Right, and many others. “On behalf of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and the below signed organizations,” the letter states, “we are writing to firmly oppose SB 50 … (click for more)