A motion introduced by Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Herb Wesson and Curren Price calls for new measures to prevent displacement in South Los Angeles.

Acknowledging a "citywide affordable housing crisis," the motion notes that neighborhoods in South Los Angeles are especially vulnerable to displacement, unemployment, wage stagnation and urban blight, which has been reinforced by practices such as historic redlining, foreclosures, and predatory lending. The motion notes that the City's African-American residents have suffered the brunt of this upheaval, now making up just nine percent of the City's total population, down from 17 percent in the 1980s.

Harris-Dawson, Wesson, and Price point to a policy of the former Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco as a possible solution. During the 1960s, the now-defunct agency established a "preference program for displaced residents and businesses" in the wake of a federally-funded urban renewal program. Displaced residents and businesses could receive "Certificates of Preference" that would entitle them to priority in renting or buying Agency-owned, funded or approved properties. The program also provided other benefits such as relocation assistance and replacement housing units.

The motion, if adopted, would direct the Chief Legislative Analyst, Community Investment Department, Economic and Workforce Development Department, and the City Attorney to report back with a feasibility study on a San Francisco-style program, as well as on how residents and businesses could be considered as an eligible category for the program.

The motion has been referred to the Housing Committee.