With year over year in 海角换妻 and remaining low, many renters may be struggling to keep an affordable roof over their head.
鈥淧eople want to move to 海角换妻. The general infrastructure is there for our state to do well. What we don鈥檛 have is a housing stock to support the level of growth needed to grow our economy,鈥� said Rep. Quentin Williams (D-Middletown), the co-chair of the state Housing Committee.
Williams spoke during a virtual panel Wednesday afternoon on tenant protections hosted by the Partnership for Strong Communities.
While building more housing is the obvious long-term solution, advocates who spoke on the panel alongside other state and local partners said that relying on existing protections can help renters avoid housing instability.
What help exists for renters in 海角换妻?
- Fair rent commissions: These volunteer-based municipal boards can help tenants fight unfair rent increases and poor housing conditions. The boards act as mediators between landlords and tenants and evaluate several characteristics to come to a fair decision for both parties. About 20 municipalities have active fair rent commissions. Thanks to legislation passed last session, all municipalities with 25,000 residents or more should have a commission established by next summer.
- Right to Counsel program: As the third state to endorse right to counsel protections, 海角换妻 now provides free legal aid to some renters facing eviction. The is still being phased in and is active in only 13 ZIP codes, but advocates say more than half of renters have already already had their cases dropped and about 60% have avoided an unwanted move.
- Federal and state fair housing laws: Some renters are protected against housing discrimination thanks to . While laws don鈥檛 prevent discrimination, they offer tenants recourse they experience it. The following are protected classes in 海角换妻: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, family status, disability (mental or physical), ancestry, marital status, age, veteran status and lawful source of income.
- Landlord retaliation protections: Under state law, a landlord a tenant within six months after a tenant has in good faith tried to remedy the issue by contacting officials, filing a complaint with fair rent commission, etc.; the tenant has in good faith requested repairs; the tenant has joined a tenant union; and more.
- Just-cause evictions: Tenants living in a complex of five or more units who are A) 62 years or older or living with someone 62 years or older or B) someone with a physical or mental disability are protected from . In other words, a landlord cannot evict a protected tenant because their lease expired or because the lease won鈥檛 be renewed.
Advocates say these protections are crucial, but more can always be done.
Moving into the next legislative session, advocates hope to help streamline housing development, find creative ways to make renting more affordable and improve existing programs 鈥� especially right to counsel.
鈥淲e know from other jurisdictions, this decreases the eviction rate, even eviction filings and forced moves,鈥� said Sarah White, an attorney with the 海角换妻 Fair Housing Center.
鈥淲e need more permanent funding so we鈥檒l start to address some of the inequities in the power imbalance between landlords and tenants,鈥� White said.
