A Win for Housing Justice: AB 670 Puts Preservation and People First

Good news in the fight for housing justice: Assembly Bill 670 has officially been signed into law. This milestone ushers in stronger tools to protect communities already at risk of displacement — and reinforces the central role that preservation and community-rooted ownership must play in California’s housing future.

At SFCLT, we believe housing justice means ensuring that every person — regardless of income, race, or immigration status — has access to a safe, stable, and affordable home. Achieving that vision requires advancing what advocates call the Three Ps:

• Protection: Safeguarding tenants from eviction, harassment, and displacement.

• Preservation: Saving and stabilizing existing affordable housing and keeping it permanently affordable.

• Production: Building new affordable homes to meet the needs of our communities.

AB 670 is a powerful win for the Preservation piece of this framework. By valuing and rewarding the work of saving existing housing — not just building new units — California is finally recognizing that keeping people in their homes is one of the most direct and effective forms of housing justice. AB 670 achieves this by:

• Counting preservation efforts toward housing goals. Local governments now can receive credit up to 25% of their state-required affordable housing plans for investments in the acquisition and rehabilitation work that SFCLT specializes in.

• Strengthening tenant protections. When affordable homes are lost, the law requires more robust replacement and relocation policies.

• Incentivizing community-centered models. By recognizing tools like community land trusts and nonprofit-led preservation, AB 670 creates a structural incentive for those models to flourish.

In short: AB 670 helps position preservation from the sidelines to the center of housing strategy — which is precisely where it needs to be.

Earlier this year, SFCLT led efforts to secure unanimous endorsement by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, working hand in hand to author a resolution supporting AB 670 and speaking out during public comment periods. The resolution, introduced by Supervisor Jackie Fielder, also drew co-sponsorship from Supervisors Walton, Chen, Sauter, Chan, Mandelman, and Melgar.

In public testimony, SFCLT stressed that preservation is not just about buildings — it’s about people, emphasizing that the educators, caretakers, service workers, artists, and longtime residents who make San Francisco thrive deserve real protections and pathways to permanence.

Thanks to this groundwork, San Francisco positioned itself as a strong supporter of AB 670 — and through coordinated efforts, the bill was carried by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva and championed through state processes.

We extend heartfelt thanks to Supervisor Jackie Fielder, for championing San Francisco’s local resolution; Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, for authoring and carrying AB 670 through the legislature; and the many residents, organizers, and partners who spoke up, organized, and pushed this across the finish line.

Want to get involved in more advocacy work? Contact SFCLT Policy Director Kyle Smeallie at ksmeallie@sfclt.org to learn more!