The shortage of affordable housing further compounds the problem, causing ripple effects that impact our community.  San Francisco has a vacancy rate well below the national average, and the cost of rent has skyrocketed in San Francisco in recent decades, but income has lagged far behind. More than 60% of San Franciscans have historically rented their homes. However, approximately 25% of Bay Area families are “severely rent burdened,” spending more than half of their income on rent.

These factors combine to make San Francisco one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. The burden of this rental market falls especially hard on the disabled, the elderly, immigrants, ethnic minorities, persons with AIDS, and large families. Many people in these communities are threatened with eviction if their income even slightly decreases.

However, civil courts– where eviction proceedings take place– don’t provide public defenders. Tenants who cannot afford an attorney often struggle to defend their rights in a system that favors those who can pay for legal counsel. Eviction Defense Collaborative works to level the playing field by providing emergency legal assistance to our low-income neighbors. In addition, we provide emergency rental assistance to help tenants struggling to make ends meet in San Francisco. Through these programs we preserve affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and protect San Francisco’s diversity so that hard working, low-income tenants can continue to have a place to call home.

EDC puts the principle of prevention to work on the problem of homelessness by providing specialized legal assistance and education about tenants’ rights to families and individuals facing eviction. We work to reach housing solutions through an integrated, collaborative approach that brings together free legal representation, rental assistance, and support for residents of homeless shelters. EDC provides support services that address root causes of homelessness and advocates for changes to address the unfairness and inequity in housing.

We’re proud of our work and the progress we’ve made in helping the tenants of San Francisco, and especially in the outcomes we’ve achieved. Each year, our legal team assists more than 2,500 families and rental assistance program helps more than 600 families– preventing more than 80% of cases from going to trial and helping these families stay in their homes. 

Each day, our team works to preserve affordable housing units by keeping long-term and subsidized tenants in place– and helps to protect the city’s unique diversity. We’re committed to protecting the unique diversity of San Francisco by preserving affordable housing and ensuring access to justice.