From today’s Examiner, “Evictions for families with children would be prohibited during the school year under a law currently being crafted by Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, an effort he says will make San Francisco more family-friendly.”

“The law would not protect those families that stopped paying rent, according to McGoldrick, who is currently working with the City Attorney’s Office to draft legislation. Instead, the law would provide children and their families with “special protections” from eviction from landlords who want to exercise their owner move-in option or get out of the rental business through the state Ellis Act.”

“Although San Francisco has suffered a 40-year decline in its percentage of children — from 24 percent in 1960 to less than 15 percent in 2000 — Mayor Gavin Newsom and other city leaders have spent this last year drawing attention to the problem and calling for solutions. McGoldrick said his legislation would address one of the core reasons why families are leaving San Francisco.”

“San Francisco attorney Andrew Zacks, who handles Ellis Act evictions and other landlord-related cases, said if McGoldrick succeeded in getting the Board of Supervisors and Mayor Gavin Newsom to approve of his legislation that “likely me and clients of mine will have it taken to court and have it invalidated by a judge.””

“Although McGoldrick’s law would delay evictions, not prevent them, Zacks said it would likely run afoul of state law if it attempted to alter the rights given to landlords under the Ellis Act. He suggested that City leaders should focus their effort on creating more family housing rather than creating “not legal” eviction controls.”