NLIHC will host a session of “Tenant Talk Live” – a webinar with and for renters and tenant leaders – today, 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 and tenant protections. Register for the Tenant Talk Live webinar at: https://bit.ly/361rmy2
NLIHC has been tracking tenant protections passed through efforts by our partners in our ERASE Project. Since January 2021, 31 states and 71 localities have passed over 150 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 enacted a specific protection known as a Tenant Bill of Rights that 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. The legislation enacted in Miami-Dade even created an Office of Housing Advocacy aimed at addressing issues between tenants and landlords. 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.
These efforts have created precedents that could be drawn upon to develop a federal tenant bill of rights and stronger federal tenant protections. 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 take action through the regulatory process. NLIHC and our partners are working with key members of Congress to draft and advance a nationwide Tenant Bill of Rights, and are working across the Biden administration on needed regulatory changes to protect tenants from experiencing harassment, housing instability, or even homelessness.
NLIHC encourages tenants to join today’s webinar to provide feedback on 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 today’s Tenant Talk Live webinar at: bit.ly/361rmy2
Stay up to date on Tenant Talk Live events via the Facebook group