Department of Building Inspection Annual Report Fiscal Year 2015-2016 | Page 20

Code Enforcement
Outreach Program
Grants
Single Room Occupancy
Hotel Collaborative Program
For the last 20 years, DBI has offered a unique program
designed to improve living conditions for all tenants, and
improve communication between tenants and landlords.
The Code Enforcement Outreach Program (CEOP) provides
support to tenants, owners and DBI, so that the City and the
community can work together to bring rental housing into
code compliance.
CEOP QUICK FACTS
• Over 6,000 households assisted in 18,000
apartment buildings city-wide with most residents
living in the Mission, Tenderloin and Chinatown
neighborhoods.
Type of issues addressed in residential rental housing:
To help ensure the success of this program, DBI is working
in cooperation with five non-profit organizations which
represent rental property owners and tenants throughout
San Francisco.The purpose of this program is to expedite
the code enforcement process by setting out tenant and
property owner’s respective rights and responsibilities,
provide mediation, and improve communication between
the parties. DBI aims to particularly seek out individuals of
limited or non-English speaking skills who may have trouble
accessing housing assistance. The goal of this program is
to achieve the abatement of violations prior to a Director’s
Hearing and referral to the City Attorney’s Office.
• Lack of heat and hot water
• Adequate toilet and shower facilities
• Water damage and sewage leaks
• Adequate egress and smoke alarms
Program Participants:
• The Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco
• Causa Justa
• Dolores Street Community Services
• The San Francisco Apartment Association
DBI continues to work with four non-profit organizations,
the Mission SRO Collaborative, the Chinatown SRO
Collaborative, the Central City SRO Collaborative, and the
SRO Families United Collaborative, in order to effectively
reach the diverse populations living in these buildings and
ensure they have habitable conditions.
Over 20,000 low-income San Franciscans reside in nearly
500 single-room occupancy (SRO) residential hotels. In
2001, the SRO Residential Hotel Collaborative Program was
created by the Board of Supervisors, in response to a rash
of fires occurring in these SRO hotels. The program aims
to improve the living conditions and safety for low-income
residents.
This program aims to support tenants through outreach,
tenant stabilization including (but not limited to) needs
assessment, housing retention planning, general advocacy,
referral and housing counseling as well as community
workshop and meetings.
SRO Program QUICK FACTS
• Over 20,000 SRO residents were assisted/
reached in over 160 SRO buildings.
Type of issues addressed in SROs:
• Lack of heat, hot water, adequate toilet and
shower facilities.
• Water damage, floors, doors, sinks, tubs, walls,
ceilings, stairs, egress, smoke alarms, fire safety,
lighting, ventilation, locks, security, windows,
paint, kitchen appliances and sanitation.
Program Participants:
• Mission SRO Collaborative
• Central City SRO Collaborative
• Chinatown SRO Collaborative
• SRO Families United Collaborative
• Chinatown Community Development Center
• Tenderloin Housing Clinic
Ensuring Habitable Housing
Over the last two decades, DBI has been instrumental in providing resources and services to tenants in multi-family buildings
and Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels. These services have been provided through community based organizations,
tenant advocacy groups, the San Francisco Apartment’s Association and SRO collaboratives to ensure habitable housing
conditions. In 2016, DBI extended these partnerships with the total nine organizations for another five years to ensure these
essentials services continue and tenants are able to live in safe, habitable conditions.
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Department of Building Inspection, Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Annual Report
Joint Fire Safety Outreach Efforts
DBI is coordinating with the SF Fire Department on a joint Fire Safety Outreach program, as a result of a $2.2 million dollar
funding from DBI. A new Fire Safety outreach team has been created at the Fire Department and they will jointly work with
DBI and its CEOP and SRO partners to educate and build awareness on the importance of fire safety in multi-unit buildings.
Department of Building Inspection, Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Annual Report
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