Tenants At 1049 Market Street Can Keep Their Homes—For Now

Tenants At 1049 Market Street Can Keep Their Homes—For Now

Tenants protest in 2014. (Photo: Dual City/Flickr)

David-Elijah Nahmod
Published on March 04, 2015

Yesterday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to prevent former pro ball player turned local landlord John Gall from converting residential units at 1049 Market St. into office space. The building was originally intended to serve as office space, but past economic downturns convinced previous landlords of the property to rent it to residential tenants so the space wouldn't stand empty.

As Hoodline reported last week, tenants at 1049 Market protested their pending evictions on the steps of City Hall in late February. Most of the building's residents, some who've lived there for decades, are lower-income artists.

Even though the building was never zoned for residential use, the tenants are legally protected by rent control.

The Board-approved legislation, introduced by District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim, means that the tenants, some of whom were served with a lawsuit by Gall's attorney at a Board of Supervisors meeting last week, can stay in the building for another year, much as they did back in February of 2014.

"I am happy that this legislation passed," said Tommi Avicolli Mecca of the Housing Rights Committee. Mecca pointed out that many landlords who once gladly rented to lower income people now want to evict them so that tech workers can move in and pay higher rents.

"Keeping people in their homes has to be the City's priority," Mecca said.

Mecca's sentiments were echoed by District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, who supported Kim's legislation. "In addressing our housing crisis, we need to make sure we are keeping people stable in their housing," Wiener said. "This legislation will help do that."

Wiener also stated that the legislation sends a "strong message" about how serious the Board is in addressing the housing crisis.

The legislation will stand for another year, but we were told a more permanent solution is in the works.