San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie declared a “rent emergency” Thursday, citing a combination of rising rent prices and a meandering housing supply that has pushed city evictions to record numbers.
Lurie’s announcement included a broad policy package aimed at “helping San Franciscans stay in their homes” by delaying evictions and preventing sudden rent spikes.
“Leaders from across government and across the city are standing together, united behind a sweeping package of reforms and investments to provide renters greater stability,” Lurie, a Democrat, said Thursday.
The Levi Strauss heir has unique alliances with Silicon Valley executives, and ran on the promise to bridge gaps with the city’s progressive core, particularly regarding housing. San Francisco is reporting decade-high eviction notices and officials say thousands of residents are behind on rent or are burdened with “shadow debt” borrowed from private lenders to stay housed.
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While the city’s rent woes aren’t new, a surge in artificial intelligence-industry jobs has spiked immediate demand for housing.
In his new plan, Lurie proposes six ordinances and $30 million in investments that he says will help protect renters — including a provision to bar evictions for people who owe less than a month’s rent — prevent rent spikes and grant tenants with legal tools to fight unlawful landlord behavior. The package would also allocate $27 million to maintain rental subsidies for low-income households.
The emergency declaration doesn’t allow the mayor’s office to sidestep red tape as a disaster declaration would, but is a symbolic move meant to coalesce city leaders around the new policy proposals
“We have lived through booms before,” Lurie said. “This time, we have an opportunity to build a recovery that is broad-based and lasting, where San Franciscans can put down roots and participate in our city’s success.”
Rents have leaped aggressively across San Francisco in recent years. The average one-bedroom apartment now goes for $4,300 per month, according to city data, and just 2.2% of the city’s multifamily housing is vacant and available for rent as of June 2026 — surpassing New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani implemented aggressive housing reforms this year.
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