As small businesses in San Francisco face skyrocketing rents and ongoing economic troubles stemming from the pandemic, the city is looking to make it easier for owners and workers alike to keep doors open.
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Friday unveiled a package aimed at supporting small business owners and their workers through two pieces of legislation. The first would enable small businesses to unionize in order to collectively negotiate rent with commercial landlords.
For many small businesses, San Francisco’s astronomically high rent is one of the largest operating expenses. But the city’s rent control policies do not cover commercial properties, making it difficult to stay in business amid the current ballooning real estate market, largely driven by the artificial intelligence boom…