This May, the CitiSTOP coalition with hundreds of tenants from across San Francisco, testified at the Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee against CitiApartments tactics of  using harassment and intimidation as a way to evict tenants.  Their tactics enable the city's largest landlord to then raise rent on newly vacant units or convert units to condos, undermining rent control and circumventing the Ellis Act.  

The hearing was a huge success, and there was a lot of energy at City Hall and elsewhere to stop CitiApartments and other bully landlords from getting around laws protecting tenants in San Francisco.  As a result of the hearing, CitiSTOP worked in coalition with the Tenant's Union and other tenant groups to draft legislation that defines and prohibits an array of harassing behaviors and will let tenants get a rent reduction when being harassed.

This legislation, which became Prop M, passed overwhelmingly on November 4th, 2008. CitiStop knocked on doors, talked to our neighbors and got out the vote to make sure Prop M passed. Now, because of our hard work, we have another tool to keep CitiApartments accountable as a landlord.

WE WON! CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THIS IMPORTANT PROPOSITION!

Keep your eyes peeled for more information about how you can use Proposition M. Remember, legislation is only a tool - we have to stay organized and active to make Prop M useful to stand up to landlord harassment.