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Resolution establishing temporary and permanent relocation assistance amounts and related fees pursuant to Chapter 8.70 “Residential Tenant Relocation” of the South San Francisco Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Ordinance XXX amending and replacing Chapter 8.70 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code “Residential Tenant Relocation”; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 8.70 ensures that tenants displaced from unsafe or substandard rental housing units receive relocation assistance to help mitigate costs related to tenants being permanently or temporarily displaced; and
WHEREAS, tenants displaced due to uninhabitable or unsafe conditions are often required to do so immediately and suffer a financial burden because of the acute lack of resources available for locating and securing suitable relocation housing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that establishing standardized relocation amounts promotes clarity, fairness, administrative efficiency, and housing stability; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 8.70 authorizes City Council to establish by resolution the amount of temporary relocation per diem payments, permanent relocation fees, counseling fees, and immediate vacation fees; and
WHEREAS, the amounts established herein are reasonably related to the costs displaced tenants incur in securing temporary and permanent housing within the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby establishes the following temporary and permanent relocation assistance amounts and related fees:
1. Temporary Relocation Assistance
In the event of a temporary displacement pursuant to Chapter 8.70, the landlord shall provide the tenant with temporary relocation per diem assistance within twenty-four (24) hours of any displacement event, or at least twenty (20) days prior to the vacation date set forth in any order or notice to vacate.
Temporary relocation per diem assistance shall be determined by utilizing the current U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rates applicable to South San Francisco (Per Diem Rates for ZIP Code 94080 | GSA <https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rates-results?action=perdiems_report&fiscal_year=2026&state=&city=&zip=94080>) and by utilizing the number of bedrooms in the rental housing unit which shall be determined by the City in its sole discretion. The temporary relocation per diem assistance amount shall be calculated to include compensation for the following:
(a) Accommodation: The GSA daily lodging rate multiplied by the number of bedrooms of the rental housing unit shall be included in the temporary relocation per diem assistance calculation.
(b) Meals: If the temporary accommodation lacks cooking facilities, the GSA daily total meal amount for breakfast, lunch and dinner multiplied by the number of bedrooms of the rental housing unit shall be included in the temporary relocation per diem assistance calculation.
(c) Incidental Expenses:. The GSA daily incidental rate multiplied by the number of bedrooms of the rental housing unit shall be included in the temporary relocation per diem assistance calculation.
(d) Pets: If the temporary accommodation does not accept a tenant’s lawful pets, the tenant shall be entitled to additional assistance to cover pet accommodations from the landlord. The amount of such additional assistance shall be based on receipts provided by the tenant for reasonable pet lodging or hotel surcharges which shall be submitted to the landlord on a weekly basis and which, thereafter, shall be included the temporary relocation assistance.
(e) Comparable Housing In Lieu of: In lieu of providing temporary relocation per diem payments in accordance with Municipal Code Section 8.70.060 and subsections (a) through (d), the landlord may provide the displaced tenant with comparable housing for the period of the temporary relocation in a safe and sanitary hotel/motel located in the City or within reasonable proximity to the City, provided such housing is acceptable to the displaced tenant and consistent with Chapter 8.70.
(f) Maximum Limit: The total amount of temporary relocation per diem assistance paid to a tenant pursuant to subsections (a) through (d) cannot exceed fifty percent (50%) of the permanent relocation assistance amount pursuant to Section 2 for a comparable unit size except where the City has approved an extension of the temporary relocation pursuant to South San Francisco Municipal Code Section 8.70.050(b) in which case the total temporary relocation per diem assistance cannot exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the permanent relocation assistance amount pursuant to Section 2.
2. Permanent Relocation Assistance
In the event of a permanent displacement pursuant to Chapter 8.70, if an anticipated notice is given to the tenant pursuant to Section 8.70.040, the permanent relocation assistance must be provided to the tenant no later than ten (10) days before the expected vacation date of the rental housing unit. If advanced notice or order is not provided to the tenant, then the payment by the landlord to the displaced tenant shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours after the notice to vacate is posted and mailed. The permanent relocation assistance amount shall be calculated to include the following:
(a) Permanent Relocation Fee: Four (4) times the monthly rental rate of the rental housing unit, or the current HUD Fair Market Rate for a comparable sized unit in South San Francisco (Fair Market Rent Documentation System <https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2026_code/2026summary.odn>), whichever rate is higher.
(b) Moving Expenses: Five Hundred Dollars ($500) multiplied by the number of bedrooms of the rental housing unit.
(c) Comparable Housing In Lieu of: In lieu of providing permanent relocation assistance pursuant to subsections (a) and (b), the landlord may offer to relocate the tenant to comparable housing in accordance with Chapter 8.70. If the tenant accepts, the landlord is liable for the moving expenses specified in subsection (b) for the tenant’s relocation as well as the costs associated with the provision of the comparable housing. If the tenant is required to vacate the rental housing unit prior to relocating to the comparable housing, the landlord must provide the temporary relocation per diem assistance to the tenant pursuant to Section 1.
3. Displacement Beyond the Initial Estimated Time
If the landlord or City determines that the actual relocation period will be longer than initially estimated, the landlord must notify the displaced tenant as soon as the determination is made. If the resulting displacement is 29 days or less, the displacement remains temporary, and the landlord shall promptly pay the displaced tenant the additional temporary relocation per diem payments owed. If the temporary resulting displacement is 30 days or more, it shall be considered a permanent displacement and the landlord shall pay the displaced tenant the difference between the total temporary relocation assistance already received by the displaced tenant pursuant to Section 1 and the permanent relocation assistance due to the tenant pursuant to Section 2 within two (2) working days after the determination that the relocation is permanent.
In the case of a City-approved extension of the temporary displacement, as described in Section 8.70.050(b), temporary relocation per diem assistance shall continue to be made in weekly increments to the tenant in accordance with Section 8.70.060 and Section 1.
4. Counseling Fee
Pursuant to Section 8.70.080, for each rental housing unit from which tenants are displaced, the landlord shall pay a fee of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250) to the City. The fee shall be used to fund counseling or other assistance required by displaced tenants as a result of displacement including, but not limited to, housing counseling, case management services, and administrative implementation of Chapter 8.70.
5. Immediate Vacation Fee
Pursuant to Section 8.70.080, where a tenant is required to vacate with fewer than thirty (30) days’ notice, the landlord shall pay an additional One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) as an immediate vacation fee per rental housing unit. This fee is in addition to any temporary or permanent relocation assistance and shall be paid directly to the tenant within twenty-four (24) hours of the displacement event.
6. Right to Amend or Modify
Temporary and permanent relocation assistance described above utilizing per diem rates shall reflect current per diem rates established by GSA at the time of the displacement event and shall incorporate all annual adjustments issued by GSA.
The City Council reserves the right to review, modify, or amend the relocation assistance and related fees established by this Resolution, as the Council deems necessary or appropriate.
All modifications or amendments shall be established by City Council resolution.
7. Defined Terms.
Terms used in this Resolution that are defined in Chapter 8.70 shall have the same meanings as provided in Chapter 8.70.
8. Effective Date
This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco and shall apply to all displacement events upon its adoption.
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