SFTU: The Archives

This is an archive of posters and flyers of past events and campaigns over the history of the San Francisco Tenants Union. Click on the images to read about their history!

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“YES on M - It’s Time to Stop Overdevelopment” (November 2016)

https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Housing_and_Development_Commission_Establishment_Amendment,_Proposition_M_(November_2016)

This poster reads, “Don’t buy the Developer’s bull on Proposition M.  You sure will be getting a lot of it before the November election. YES ON M… The Real Picture: Every time the citizens create a solution to overdevelopment, developers try to convince us there is something ‘flawed’ about it...”

Proposition M was on the November 2016 ballot.  It was a charter amendment which would create a Housing and Development Commission.  Board members would be chosen by the mayor, Board of Supervisors, and the city controller.  The Housing and Development Commission would have been able to oversee two departments that were previously only controlled by the mayor.  It would have been a great step towards dealing with overdevelopment in the city.

Unfortunately, Prop M was defeated, with 55.8% of voters voting No and 44.2% voting Yes.  Some of the supporters of Prop M included the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, the San Francisco Democratic Party, the Affordable Housing Alliance, and the San Francisco Council of Community Housing Organizations.

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“Yes on B - Housing for Us All” (November 2008)

This was a poster encouraging voters to vote for Proposition B on the November 2008 ballot.  Prop B was called the San Francisco Housing Fund.  According to this SF Gate article, Assemblyman Mark Lenos noted that Prop B would have been a great way to “secure, identify and stabilize ongoing monies for affordable housing.”  

Unfortunately, it was defeated with 52.19% of voters voting No, and 47.81% voting yes.  If it was approved, it would have given San Francisco the ability to create an “Affordable Housing Fund.”  This would have been created by taking a property tax of 2.5 cents for every $100 of assessed value, which would have then been used to create more affordable housing for SF residents.  Prop B would have still been able to prioritize affordable housing without raising taxes.

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“Protest March against Rent Raises by Gunther Kaussen” (1970s, 1980s)

This was a flyer for a protest against the rent raises from the “slumlord” landlord, Gunther Kaussen. Kaussen, a German multimillionaire, was known for his secretive business practices in the  He owned tons of property in the U.S. and in West Germany, including 23 large buildings in San Francisco (totaling around 1,500 apartments).  Kaussen kept his rent costs higher than any other landlords in the city.  In 1985, he died at the age of 57 by suicide.  He was $133 million in debt.  

This protest likely took place in the 1970s or 1980s.  The poster also says that several “teach-ins” were held at 6 of Kaussen’s buildings, to educate the public on his exploitation. There were also rent strikes at 5 of Kaussen’s buildings.  This poster was probably not the only one of its kind, as Kaussen exploited and abused tenants rights his whole life.  He was infamous for being inexplicably cruel.

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“Vote Yes on Prop F, No Rent Increases Without Jobs!” (June 2010)

Proposition F was on the June 2010 ballot.  It was titled the San Francisco Rent Increase Hardship Appeals, and was unfortunately defeated 57.75% to 42.25%.  If it was approved, it would have been helpful for renters who had lost their jobs.  Prop F would have allowed these renters to apply for a financial hardship deferral, which meant that they would be exempt from paying for any rent increases.

The qualifications for this financial hardship deferral application included 1) being unemployed; 2) their income declined by 20% or more; 3) they were on a fixed income; 4) over ⅓ of their income went to rent payments.

The SFTU supported Prop F, as well as the SF Democratic Party and the Harvey Milk Club.  However, the major opponents included Mayor gavin newsom, SF Board of Supervisors Elsbernd and Chu, the SF Assn of Realtors, the SF Republican Party and the Coalition of SF Neighborhoods.

For more information on this Proposition: https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco_Rent_Increase_Hardship_Appeals,_Proposition_F_(June_2010)

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“Yes on M: Stop Harassment, Vote Yes on M, Stop Landlord Harassment of Tenants!”  (November 2008)

This sign was advocating for voters to vote Yes on Proposition M, the San Francisco Anti-Harrassment of Tenants Act.  This proposition was approved in 2008, with 58.84% voting for Prop M and and 41.16% voting against it.  Unfortunately, it was mostly short-lived. Prop M was written to prohibit 15 different actions a landlord could have taken against a tenant.  

There were provisions for triple damages and it would have required the landlord to pay for the tenant’s attorney.  In January 2009, there was a court order that ruled not to enforce Prop M.  By October 2011, nearly all but 3 provisions of of Prop M were invalidated, which allowed the Rent Board to decrease a tenant’s rent if the landlord did not fix damage in the apartment.