SAMPLE COMMENT
(and Tips!)
NOTE: It is important to make your comment unique by adding your experience and changing words to make it sound more like you! The government does not count comments that are too similar.
Your comment will be publicly available. Do not share anything you want to keep private or confidential.
(and Tips!)
NOTE: It is important to make your comment unique by adding your experience and changing words to make it sound more like you! The government does not count comments that are too similar.
Your comment will be publicly available. Do not share anything you want to keep private or confidential.
WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE IN MY COMMENT?
+ Median rents in the U.S. have risen nearly 20% in the last two years alone.
+ Nationally, median rent has surpassed $2,000 for the first time ever.
+ In 2023, there is not a single state where a worker employed full-time at the federal
minimum wage can afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
WHAT TYPES OF HOUSING EXPERIENCES SHOULD I SHARE?
Here are a few examples of the types of information that would be helpful to share. You do not need to answer all of these questions.
WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT I CAN SUGGEST?
- Start with your name and where you live: My name is [FIRST NAME] and I am a tenant living in [CITY/STATE].
- If you are a tenant, you should share your experiences trying to find safe and affordable housing.
- Share some solutions, what you want to see the government do about it.
- Optional: Add an impactful statistic (or two) to your comment. Here are some examples:
+ Median rents in the U.S. have risen nearly 20% in the last two years alone.
+ Nationally, median rent has surpassed $2,000 for the first time ever.
+ In 2023, there is not a single state where a worker employed full-time at the federal
minimum wage can afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
WHAT TYPES OF HOUSING EXPERIENCES SHOULD I SHARE?
Here are a few examples of the types of information that would be helpful to share. You do not need to answer all of these questions.
- Has your rent been raised? Is so, how much? How did this impact you? Did you have to start working additional hours or jobs?
- What are the main challenges to finding and keeping affordable housing for you?
- Has your landlord filed an eviction? If so, how did they notify you? Why did they file the eviction? How did the eviction impact you?
- What is the condition of your home? When you need something repaired, does your landlord make timely repairs?
WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT I CAN SUGGEST?
- Rent regulations: Protect tenants from and limit egregious rent hikes.
- Good cause eviction: Prohibit evictions without good cause, ensuring every tenant has the right to a lease renewal. "Good cause," is defined as serious and repeated lease violations provable in a court of law. "Good cause eviction" is the sometimes called "just cause eviction."
- Safe, quality, accessible housing standards: Require all landlords to keep their properties in good condition, and to ensure homes are accessible for people with disabilities. No renter should have to live in an inaccessible home or in housing conditions that put their health and safety at risk.
- Landlord registry: Tenants should have access to information about their landlord including their name and phone number.
- Fair leases: Landlords must use standardized and clearly defined leases free of abusive terms.
- Office of Tenant Protections: A team charged with protecting tenants and enforcing their rights in properties with federally backed mortgages.
- Limit income requirements: Prohibit landlords from using unreasonable income criteria.
- Freedom from discrimination: Enforce existing anti-discrimination laws and expand protections to prohibit discrimination based on bankruptcy history, eviction history, or credit score.
COMMENT TEMPLATE
SAMPLE COMMENTS
Peyton from Louisville, KY: “I'm a tenant in a federally backed property in Louisville, KY. We have water spots in our ceiling where the roof has leaked. Our appliances are broken and haven't been fixed. Our laundry machines are so old they literally can't even be fixed anymore. When it rained recently, water leaked through our vents from the roof. Our air conditioning went out for a week in the summer and our water for two weeks. Despite all of this, our rent has gone up about $400 in the last four or five years. The government needs to act now to prevent corporate landlords getting government assistance from treating us this way by putting conditions on these funds.”
Brittany from Charleston, SC: "My name is Brittany Wright and I live in Charleston, South Carolina. I have lived in the same place for 5 years with no improvements. Every year my rent has raised about $100. Last year my rent raised $400 in one lease with plans to raise it ANOTHER $400 this year! No improvements. Horrible living situation. But with rents even higher, deposits doubled, and the expense of moving, it is impossible to even dream of an escape. We are paying thousands of dollars for slums. This is also taking all my income. Which means I barely have money for food and I definitely have no money for other items that help boost the economy."
Comments must be submitted by 11:59pm July 31, 2023.
This page was made possible by
tenantcomment.org, Homes Guarantee, and Southern Crossroads .
THANKS, Y'ALL!
tenantcomment.org, Homes Guarantee, and Southern Crossroads .
THANKS, Y'ALL!