Presidio Trust announces rent hikes raising displacement concerns for residents

Mid-January notices that reset rents to reflect market rates have alerted tenants across the Presidio that their housing costs could rise by as much as about 10 percent. The Presidio Trust, which leases and manages roughly 1,400 housing units on federally owned lands in the park, issued the notices as part of a portfolio-wide rent adjustment that took effect on January 15, 2026.

Because those homes sit on federal land, they are not subject to San Francisco's rent-control ordinance. That legal distinction leaves tenants with limited protection under municipal rules and has heightened concern among long-time residents and local advocates about affordability and the risk of displacement inside one of the city’s most visible green spaces.

The scale of the adjustment and the number of units affected make this a neighborhood-level issue with wider reverberations through San Francisco housing dynamics. Presidio housing has long housed a mix of residents whose tenure helps sustain nearby retail, nonprofit, and service ecosystems. A sudden increase in housing costs could force people to move farther from jobs and community ties, adding pressure to an already tight rental market across the city.

The situation underscores a recurring governance tension: federal enclaves inside major cities follow different rules than surrounding jurisdictions, creating gaps in local housing protections. For San Francisco, where municipal policy and advocacy have pushed to preserve affordability and prevent displacement, the Presidio Trust’s decision spotlights how federal land management can complicate those efforts.

Practical options for affected residents include reviewing lease terms and communicating directly with the Presidio Trust about payment schedules and any hardship accommodations the agency may offer. Tenants who are concerned can also reach out to city supervisors, tenant organizations, and legal aid groups for guidance on rights and possible advocacy channels, recognizing that remedies may be limited by federal jurisdiction.

For local policymakers and advocates, the episode is likely to prompt renewed conversations about coordination with federal land managers on housing stability, and whether new agreements or programs could better protect long-standing residents of federally controlled properties. For neighbors and neighborhood-serving businesses, the immediate consequence will be whether household budgets remain stable or begin to shift more of their spending outside the local economy.

What happens next will be determined by how tenants, community groups and the Presidio Trust engage over the coming weeks. San Francisco residents who live in or near the park should monitor communications from the Trust and stay connected with tenant support networks as this adjustment plays out.