Seniors at Historic Fillmore Co-Op Say Bad Management Led to Eviction Notices

More than a dozen Black seniors receiving HUD subsidies at a historic co-op in San Francisco’s Fillmore district received eviction notices. Residents said they were told they owed thousands of dollars in back payments tied to HUD subsidies and were threatened with eviction. They attributed the situation to their management company’s poor bookkeeping and lack of communication, including neglecting to recertify assets each year as required by law. Residents reported inconsistent or unclear monthly amounts and insufficient notice about paperwork and rent changes. The 211-unit property became a cooperative in the late 1970s under a HUD-subsidized ownership model intended to create shareholder-residents and long-term stability. Residents and legal advocates urged city officials to intervene before additional evictions occur.

"More than a dozen Black seniors who receive HUD subsidies were recently given eviction notices at their historic Fillmore district co-op, which they say is due to their management company's poor bookkeeping and lack of communication. A group of seniors at the Martin Luther King-Marcus Garvey Square Cooperative Apartments in the Fillmore say they were suddenly told they owed thousands of dollars in back payments connected to their HUD subsidies and were threatened with eviction, as the SF Standard first reported."

"They say their management company, Domus, neglected to recertify their assets each year, as required by law, and property managers weren't communicative about how much they owed each month or they provided inconsistent numbers, according to ABC 7. The 211-unit property became a cooperative in the late 1970s, after federal intervention took over the site and restructured it under a HUD-subsidized ownership model."

"The idea was to turn low-income Black tenants into shareholder-residents with a pathway to equity and intergenerational stability. Per the Standard, only a few dozen of the remaining residents at the co-op are Black as the Black population in San Francisco has shrunk to single digits in recent years. Nikki Love, of Open Door Legal, which represents seven of the residents, said she's still sorting out how much her clients owe."

"Open Door Legal's attorneys say the evidence they've collected points to administrative breakdowns tied to HUD recertification requirements, including high management turnover and failures to properly communicate rent changes and paperwork needs to residents. Residents are urging city officials to intervene before more evictions proceed, while calling into question an all-too familiar pattern affecting longtime Black residents who have"

Read at sfist.com