NLIHC will host a session of “Tenant Talk Live” – a webinar with and for renter and resident leaders – on November 7 at 6 pm ET. During the webinar, NLIHC staff will be joined by staff from the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) to discuss a national Tenant Bill of Rights. Register for next week’s Tenant Talk Live webinar at: https://bit.ly/361rmy2
NLIHC has been tracking tenant protections passed nationwide since January 2021 through its ERASE Project. In that time, 31 states and 71 localities have passed tenant protections. These protections include, but are not limited to, emergency rental assistance- (ERA) related protections, right-to-counsel ordinances, source-of-income protections, and just cause standards. Some states and localities have also worked to enact a different type of protection: a Tenant Bill of Rights, which provides tenants with important advocacy tools to address concerns they may have regarding their relationship with their landlord. Localities like Miami-Dade County, the District of Columbia, and New York City have passed such Tenant Bills of Rights, while at the federal level, the U.S. Congress passed a Tenant Bill of Rights for military members and their families in privatized military housing through the “National Defense Authorization Act” (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2020.
Such efforts have faced challenges but led to major triumphs as well. Meanwhile, they have created precedents that could be drawn upon to develop a federal tenant bill of rights. With soaring rental costs, high inflation, and increased evictions, it is critical that Congress work to enact federal protections for tenants through a Tenant Bill of Rights. At the same time, the Biden-Harris administration should consider taking action through the regulatory process. NLIHC and its partners will continue to advocate for a nationwide Tenant Bill of Rights and regulatory changes that will protect tenants from experiencing harassment, housing instability, or even homelessness.
NLIHC encourages tenants to join the next webinar to provide feedback concerning what should be included in a national Tenant Bill of Rights. The conversation will be guided by Sarah Saadian, senior vice president of public policy and field organizing at NLIHC, and Noëlle Porter, director of government affairs at NHLP.
Remember: Tenant Talk Live would not be possible without tenants like you! We strive to connect and engage with tenants and tenant leaders through our webinars. You can e-mail [email protected] with any feedback.
Register for next week’s Tenant Talk Live webinar at: bit.ly/361rmy2
Stay up to date on Tenant Talk Live events via the Facebook group