SF Community Rallies in Support of Tenants Facing Ellis Act Evictions
On the evening of July 3rd, as Downtown office workers headed home amidst rush hour, tenants facing eviction, advocates, and concerned community members gathered in front of multi-millionaire landlord Michael Cheung’s condominium to protest his Ellis Act eviction court orders served to the multi-generational families at 657-659 Natoma Street. Chanting, blowing horns and banging on makeshift instruments, the agitated crowd rallied along Jessie Alley across from Cheung’s luxury residence in an ongoing effort to pressure the landlord into selling his building to allow the beleaguered tenants stay in their long-time homes. This was the second surprise rally organized by SOMCAN, drawing attention to the depletion of Filipino residents in the anointed “Filipino Cultural Heritage District” and underscoring the widening gap between rich and poor in the neighborhood.
From 1992 to the present, the De Vera family, the Bustos family, the Bonifacio family, and the Ma Coll family have established roots in the South of Market community. They range in age from a 4-year-old toddler to a 92-year-old senior. In addition to sharing the same country of origin, the families all hail from the same hometown of Masantol in Pampanga, Philippines. Over time, the four families have developed close bonds with one another, often referring to themselves as a village. Diane Bonifacio Yumang grew up in this building. Now 28 years old, Yumang said of her next-door neighbors: "I always looked at them as family."
Currently, the families and the communities they’ve cultivated are under threat of displacement and separation by Michael Cheung, Founder and Managing Principal of Caerus Investment Advisors, LLC. Based on public records, Caerus Investment Advisors profited $576 million in 2016 alone. In addition, Michael Cheung is a so-called “angel investor” for Airbnb, DraftKings, Lyft, and Snapchat, among an expansive array of tech companies. By initiating the Ellis Act evictions, he jeopardizes the stability of their living situations. An Ellis eviction is a type of “no-fault” eviction in which a landlord claims the right to “go out of business”. According to the San Francisco Tenants Union: “Ellis Act evictions generally are used to change the use of the building. Most Ellis evictions are used to convert rental units to condominiums, using loopholes in the condo law.” Despite having the option of selling his property without evicting the existing tenants, current eviction proceedings demonstrate Cheung’s disinterest in doing so. His intended use for the building is unknown.
“You wake up in the middle of the night and it's the first thing that pops up in your mind,” said Christina Bustos, one of the tenants. “You're already thinking, like, what's going to happen? Where are we going to move?” Bustos shares a one-bedroom apartment unit with her husband, two kids, and 82-year-old mother-in-law.
In San Francisco, the housing crisis and over-commercialization of property function as destructive forces among low-income immigrant families, such as the families of 657-659 Natoma Street. As commercial property continues to be overvalued against the well-being of poor and working people and as the housing crisis persists, levels of homelessness rise, families continue to be uprooted from their homes, and vibrant communities are eradicated.
At the time of this publication, Cheung’s legal team has requested to delay the court hearing in response to mounting pressure from the San Francisco community at large.
“It’s actually overwhelming,” said Yumang. “I’m surprised there’s lots of support from people we don’t even know. It’s really heartwarming and it feels good.”
Additional Press Coverage:
Balitang America: “SF Community Supports Filipino Families Threatened with Eviction”
People Power Media: “92-Year-Old Among Filipinos Facing Eviction In SoMa”
San Francisco Examiner: “Advocates rally for Filipino families facing eviction in SOMA”