Free graffiti cleanup pilot program in San Francisco could save property owners thousands in fines

Small business and private property owners along San Francisco neighborhood commercial corridors can get help from The City in abating graffiti on their property at no cost.

City leaders Wednesday in the Inner Sunset neighborhood announced the launch of a free, two-year pilot abatement program where small business and property owners can request The City to help paint over graffiti for free on the exterior of their properties visible to the public. Owners can contact 311 to request abatement, or contact the Department of Public Works.

The department will have an additional six-person team to staff the pilot program, said DPW Interim Director Carla Short. The City’s budget will fund the new crew with $2 million earmarked for the pilot program for the current fiscal year and another $2 million for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Short said the department will attempt to address graffiti removal requests within 72 hours, but warned that it could take longer if there are a lot of requests for removal. She added there could be fewer requests during the winter season.

Mayor London Breed said she understands the challenges businesses have been dealing with, especially during the pandemic:

“We understand that there are a lot of small property owners who are struggling. We understand that there are challenges with trying to meet The City’s guidelines to get these properties painted appropriately.”

Sharky Laguana, president of the Small Business Commission, said businesses are contacting the commission in asking where the support was from The City:

“I think that this legislation is an excellent answer to that question.”

DPW will first issue a notice to a property owner that they need to remove the graffiti within 30 days. If the owner do not meet the deadline, the department will send out a blight notice and charge them a $362 inspection fee. If the graffiti is still not removed by that point, DPW will send out a crew to clean up the graffiti and charge the property owner of at least $400 for costs related to labor and supplies.

Additionally, the property owner can face up to a $1,000 a day penalty for violating The City’s blight ordinance, though most cases are resolved before any fines and penalties are enacted, city officials said.

Fines and penalties were suspended for a time during the early part of the pandemic, but were reinstated by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year.

DPW said since the beginning of the current fiscal year that began July 1, the department issued nearly 900 notices to property owners to remove graffiti within 90 days.

District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who authored the ordinance for the pilot program, said the pilot program will not only help small business owners, but also make neighborhood commercial areas more inviting to visitors:

“It’s really important that our neighbors and people coming to visit our city feel welcome and they feel like the commercial corridors are not neglected.”