On Brink of Eviction, Senior Tenant in the Tenderloin Gets Help from Right to Counsel, Rent Relief Programs, Will Stay in Home

SAN FRANCISCO — On the eve of his 70th birthday, Tenderloin resident Cedric Dugger received what every renter in San Francisco fears – a notice of eviction. But after receiving free legal representation through the city’s tenant Right to Counsel program, organizing with the Veritas Tenants Association, and resolving his pandemic-related back rent through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, advocates announced today that Cedric will stay in his home of more than 14 years.

“This is a resounding victory for tenant organizing and our city’s anti-displacement programs,” said Supervisor Dean Preston, a former tenant attorney who wrote the City’s right to counsel law. “Providing free legal counsel and rent relief for tenants are effective ways to prevent more people from becoming homeless, and Cedric’s story serves as a powerful example of what happens when we mobilize to stop evictions.”

In July 2022, Veritas Investments, the city’s largest landlord, filed an unlawful detainer against Mr. Dugger after he fell behind on rent payments, partially a result of a $200 cut to his disability payments. Despite the availability of rent relief funds, Mr. Dugger had difficulty navigating the city’s application process.

Mr. Dugger teamed up with the Veritas Tenants Association, organizing protests against the eviction both at Mr. Dugger’s home at 601 O’Farrell Street and in front of City Hall. At the same time, Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE) stepped in to provide free legal representation as part of the city’s tenant right to counsel program, which has served as a model for other cities and states across the country.

Attorneys at LAE helped Mr. Dugger apply for rent relief, and successfully appealed to the court for more time to resolve the back rent issues. After Supervisor Preston’s office stepped in to ensure the full amount of back rent – which had ballooned to more than $40,000 – would be covered by the rent relief programs, Veritas agreed to drop the eviction case this month.

“Without help from Supervisor Preston, from the Veritas Tenants Association, and from Legal Assistance to the Elderly, I have no doubt that I would be homeless today,” Mr. Dugger said. “I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has had my back and helped make sure I could stay in my home.”

Part of the agreement between Veritas and Mr. Dugger includes a discounted rent amount through May 31, 2024. To help make sure Mr. Dugger can remain in his apartment as he stabilizes his finances, advocates have set up a GoFundMe page.

“Making sure tenants facing eviction have access to a free attorney is life-changing,” said Tom Drohan, Director of Litigation at Legal Assistance to the Elderly and legal counsel to Mr. Dugger. “Nine out of ten clients who receive full-scope representation at LAE remain housed, and I’m proud of the work we have done to make sure Mr. Dugger is one of them.”

Prior to being elected District 5 Supervisor in 2019, Preston authored Prop F in June 2018, a ballot measure that established the Tenant Right to Counsel program in San Francisco. A Supervisor, Preston has prioritized funding for the program, and in 2021, with a major investment of city funds, the program was for the first time fully funded.

Additionally, in 2020, Supervisor Preston wrote and voters passed the ballot measure Proposition I, which doubled the transfer tax rate on real estate deals valued at $10 million or more. He successfully used those funds to invest in rent relief, setting aside $42 million of Prop I proceeds to keep people in their homes. To date, the program has helped more than 6,070 San Francisco households avoid eviction, with approximately $24 million left to spend, which will help an additional 3,000 households address back rent issues.

“San Francisco is at its best when we’re standing up for the most vulnerable in our city,” said Supervisor Preston. “Making sure people like Cedric and other struggling renters can stay in their home is not just the right thing to do, it is undeniably cost effective. Even in a tough budget year, we must continue to invest in anti-displacement programs that prevent San Franciscans from becoming homeless.”

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