San Francisco mayor to declare rent emergency as AI-driven boom drives rents up

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced he will declare a rent emergency, a largely symbolic step intended to elevate his housing agenda amid a rapid rent surge tied to the artificial-intelligence boom. He supports legislation that would prevent evictions for tenants who owe less than a month’s rent, cap yearly rent increases, and increase funding for nonprofit attorneys handling eviction cases. The city has already logged more than 1,000 eviction notices this year, positioning it for the highest rate in nearly a decade.

One-bedroom rents now average over $4,300, a rise of more than $1,000 from last year, with overall rents up more than 25% according to ApartmentList. Supervisor Danny Sauter proposed a 10% annual rent-increase ceiling, arguing stronger action is needed to protect long-time residents. Housing experts cite the scarcity of new units—only 489 built so far—and the high cost of constructing affordable housing as the underlying problem, while some developers argue the real crisis is the $1.1 million cost per affordable unit. City Attorney David Chiu warned that some landlords are exploiting the market to push tenants beyond legal limits.