Certificate of Preference Program & Marketing Requirements
Certificate of Preference Program
During the 1960s and 1970s SFRA, as part of the federal urban renewal program, displaced many residents and businesses from its Project Areas. In 1967, the SFRA initiated the COP program for former residents of housing displaced by
its activities.
The COP program does not guarantee a certificate holder any particular housing unit, but it provides the holder with a preference over other applicants of affordable housing sponsored by OCII and MOHCD, provided that the Certificate Holder meets the financial and other qualifications of the unit.
The COP program is authorized under the California Community Redevelopment Law (“CRL”), which limits the preference to low- to moderate- income persons who were displaced. Cal. Health & Safety Code § 33411.3. In 2022, the state legislature expanded this preference to include the descendants of displaced persons and authorized housing successors (i.e. MOHCD) to implement the expanded preference. The preference only applies to housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households.
At the direction of the Commission in FY13-14, OCII staff initiated a more robust early outreach and marketing protocol to ensure as many COP holders as possible obtain housing, and to maximize the number of COP holders who live outside of San Francisco but want to return. Table 8 shows success, over the past ten years, as measured by the increased number of COP holders housed, COP holders who applied for housing, and those returning to San Francisco.
OCII contracts with MOHCD to assist with marketing our affordable units, and MOHCD manages the COP program for both OCII and MOHCD projects. Importantly, MOHCD staff and housing counseling agencies work with COP holders to navigate through the marketing and lease-up process.
MOHCD provides an annual report to the OCII Commission describing the COP program for OCII sponsored projects, accomplishments, and next steps in greater detail.
Certificate of Preference Reports and PowerPoint Presentations to the OCII Commission
Certificate of Preference (COP) Annual Reports | COP Marketing and Outreach Reports | PowerPoint Presentations |
| ||
FY 2014-15 OCII Project Marketing and Outreach Report | ||
Table 8: COP Program Highlights Ten Years Ending FY22-23
Table 8 reflects COP program highlights from the past ten fiscal years for OCII sponsored projects.
Total | FY22-23 | FY21-22 | FY20-21 | FY19-20 | FY18-19 | FY17-18 | FY16-17 | FY15-16 | FY14-15 | FY13-14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TABLE 8. COP PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS TEN YEARS ENDING FY22-23 | |||||||||||
| COP Holders Housed | 87 | - | 4 | - | 3 | 13 | 18 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| COP Holders Returned to San Francisco | 32 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| COP Holders Applied for Housing | 427 | - | 20 | 12 | 20 | 59 | 61 | 86 | 13 | 95 | 61 |
| New Certificates Issued | 636 | 115 | 64 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 61 | 55 | 111 | 73 | 62 |
| Lottery Units Available | 1,504 | 0 | 113 | 108 | 216 | 247 | 350 | 186* | 78 | 184 | 22 |
*Of the 186 units in FY16-17, a total of 120 were senior units and had Project Based rental vouchers.
Marketing Requirements
OCII relies on an Early Outreach Plan and Tenant Selection Plan (“Marketing Plan”) for each OCII sponsored project as tools to guide marketing. OCII requires that the Early Outreach Plan includes affirmative marketing to COP holders during the early phases of construction in order to allow applicants sufficient time to prepare for and take advantage of any community based or City sponsored readiness programs. OCII also requires developers to outreach to COP holders and connect them to rental and homebuyer readiness workshops.
MOHCD uses its web-based application system, the Database of Affordable Housing Listings, Information and Applications (“DAHLIA”) for all OCII sponsored affordable housing, to streamline the application process to make it easier for COP holders and others seeking affordable rental or homeownership housing opportunities (https:// housing.sfgov.org). MOHCD partners with several non-profit agencies to support rental readiness and eviction prevention programs to assist applicants in using DAHLIA and to prepare individuals for successful tenancies/occupancies.