THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, SEPT. 3, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
San Francisco supervisors returned to City Hall from summer recess Tuesday. While their first meeting was brief, the new-business announcements included some fairly meaty proposals addressing the city’s increasingly unaffordable real estate market, which continues to squeeze residents and small businesses alike.
Perhaps most interesting is that the proposals reflect sharply different ideas about what government should do about it. Some seek to nudge the market and make better use of resources the city already owns. Others reach for San Francisco’s more familiar policy tool: regulation, preferably with a sledgehammer attached.
Front and center was District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder’s proposed legislation, announced in advance, aimed at slowing residential evictions based on nonpayment of rent. The measure would bar evictions for outstanding rent unless the amount owed exceeded one month’s fair-market rent for the tenant’s unit. Similar standards are already used in Los Angeles, Oakland, and Berkeley.
“… in San Francisco last year, around 25 percent of tenants were evicted for less than one month of the fair market rent for their unit,” Fielder told colleagues Tuesday during roll call. “This is why I’m introducing legislation that will prevent landlords from evicting tenants who fall behind in rent unless the tenant owes them a portion higher than the fair market rent.”
The bill appears aimed particularly at long-term rent-controlled tenants whose monthly rents have fallen well below current market rates, as well as tenants caught by unusual fees or fluctuating utility charges. It already has the support of a majority of the board, along with Mayor Daniel Lurie — a fairly broad coalition for a proposal that, in effect, makes one of the country’s most heavily regulated rental markets just a little more heavily regulated.
Back in February, District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter asked the budget and legislative analyst to examine how the city uses publicly owned property, with an eye toward maximizing existing uses and converting surplus property to housing. The report is due out this week and has identified 44 vacant or soon-to-be-vacant properties that could merit further evaluation for affordable housing or other development.
“We’re clearly sitting on a tremendous resource that we need to use better,” Sauter said at roll call, adding that the surplus could create “many thousands of new homes.”
“It is clear that we need a citywide direction and coordinated long-term approach to leveraging publicly owned parcels to meet the most critical needs of San Franciscans,” he said.
This is, on its face, one of those rare San Francisco policy ideas that begins with the radical proposition that the city should figure out what it owns and whether it is using it effectively. Sauter cited SFMTA’s Joint Development Program as a possible citywide model for such an effort, though he might want to take another look at the agency’s own development track record before recommending it as the template for efficient execution. He is calling for a hearing on the report, with a roster of city departments expected to testify.
Meanwhile, Sunset Supervisor Alan Wong is asking the city attorney to begin drafting legislation updating San Francisco’s formula retail rules. His argument is relatively straightforward: Regulations designed for a different economic environment can make it unnecessarily difficult for businesses to occupy empty storefronts — even when an empty storefront has done little to improve the neighborhood’s character.
The goal, Wong said, is to better reflect current economic conditions and bring businesses, foot traffic, and activity back to commercial corridors.
“I think it’s time we update these rules to reflect today’s economic reality better, make it easier to fill vacant storefronts, and bring more foot traffic and activities back to our streets,” he told colleagues.
Or, translated from the language of public policy: At some point, an empty storefront may be worse than a Starbucks.
Meanwhile, Richmond Supervisor Connie Chan, who has reportedly abandoned almost all of her committee assignments while pursuing a run for Congress, introduced a pair of predictably ambitious — and distinctly progressive — proposals aimed at protecting small businesses and creating opportunities for workers to become business owners.
The first, a “Small Business Tenants Union” measure, would allow commercial tenants to organize collectively and bargain with landlords and property managers while preventing property owners from interfering with those efforts. The proposal was inspired by tenant organizing and merchants’ organizing efforts in Japantown.
Apparently Chan has been working on this for some time. She first announced a proposal along these lines at a Japantown press conference back in July, which makes the formal legislative rollout now feel a little like the announcement of the announcement. But better late than never, especially when there is a congressional campaign to keep in mind.
The second proposal, dubbed the Workers’ Opportunity to Purchase Act, is modeled after the progressives’ earlier Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, which gives qualified nonprofit organizations an opportunity to acquire certain distressed rent-controlled properties and preserve them as permanently affordable housing. Or, depending on your point of view, allows slumlords to cannibalize rent-controlled housing.
Chan’s proposal would apply a similar philosophy to businesses. Owners planning to sell would have to provide advance notice to employees, who would then have an opportunity to organize a cooperative and make an offer to purchase the company. If the workers organized and found financing, they could potentially counter or match other offers.
The idea is appealing in the abstract: Rather than watching a neighborhood business disappear or be sold to an outside buyer, why not give the people who already work there a chance to take it over? The practical question, however, is whether creating a worker-owned business is really as simple as giving workers a right of first refusal.
Still, the proposals offered a useful preview of the ideological arguments likely to shape San Francisco land use policy going forward. One camp wants government to get smarter about the assets it already controls and reduce regulations that may be standing in the way of economic activity. The other sees the imbalance of power between landlords, business owners, workers, and tenants as the fundamental problem — and is prepared to use the law to redistribute some of it.
Given San Francisco’s political traditions, it would be premature to bet against the second approach.
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EVENTS
Out and about Sept. 3–9, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
It’s technically still summer until Sept. 22, but Labor Day weekend is the “unofficial end of summer,” as we all know it, and it’s just a few days away. If you’re hanging around town, here are my picks for upcoming events to do to get you out and about.
Thursday, Sept. 3
Living legend Jules Broussard, a double-saxophone serenader who has performed with musicians ranging from Alice Coltrane to Van Morrison and Boz Scaggs to Santana, will perform with his New Orleans Jazz Band, all of whom are Bay Area jazz veterans. 7 p.m. at Keys Jazz Bistro. Tickets: $40
Friday, Sept. 4
Our long-time colleague Bruce Bellingham frequently mentioned the Mechanics’ Institute in his column, and it fell off my radar after he left us for the big newspaper in the sky. But I digress. Movies at Mechanics’ has been the place for film enthusiasts for over 20 years. Tonight, up on the screen is the classic 1952 film, Singin’ in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Conner, and Debbie Reynolds, and others. Arrive a bit early (5:45) to get your popcorn and a drink and to watch the preshow vintage commercials. 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets: from $7 and change.
Saturday, Sept. 5
The Kings Mountain Art Fair in Woodside is hands down my all-time favorite (but stay tuned for a runner-up coming up later in the month). The artists are juried, and the fair has a reputation as one of one the premier art events on the West Coast. It’s a stunning venue with meandering paths through a redwood grove, and simply can’t be beat. It’s also wholly operated by volunteers, aims for zero waste, and supports the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade and Kings Mountain Elementary for an all-around win. Go early (8–10:30 a.m.) for breakfast or if you want to sleep in, get lunch (11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.); both for purchase. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission
The summer season wouldn’t be complete without the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Free Shakespeare in the Park, where “no Shakespeare experience [is] required.” Antony and Cleopatra is on stage this year, exploring the conflict between duty and desire, personal relationships and political power, all against the backdrop of the Roman Empire and Egypt. Whew and hmm. 2 p.m. through Monday and next weekend at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. Free admission.
It’s an evening of art, performances, and a marketplace in Chinatown at the Hungry Ghost Festival. Traditional ghost festivals aim to distract and calm restless spirits when the hangriest ghosts come to seek solace in the living realm. So do your part and also enjoy. Fittingly, a Ghost King parade kicks off the festival. 2–6 p.m. on Grant Avenue between California and Sacramento streets. Free admission.
Sunday, Sept. 6
Today is the last day of the World Arts West Dance Festival. Enjoy live dance performances and features the Academy of Danse Libre, Amazed by Grace Dance Ministry, Los Lupeños de San José, and Uzumaru. Also enjoy community Brazilian and line dances, interactive demos, and multicultural food trucks. 1 to 4 p.m. at the Presidio Tunnel Tops East Meadow. Free admission, register here.9. Brunch/lunch from $10; dinner from $30.
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