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Baltimore enacts new rules to root out squalid rental properties. But some tenants could lose their homes

Doug Donovan

February 07, 2019 |

The Baltimore Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore passed a law that cracks down on rental property owners that have been operating without required inspection, leaving renters living in squalor. While critics fear that owners and landlords may lose business, advocates note that living conditions have drastically improved for those renting homes in these buildings.

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Seattle Is Changing Who Gets A Say At City Hall. Could Austin Learn A Thing Or Two?

Audrey McGlinchy

November 12, 2018 |

KUT |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Getting renters involved in the conversation increases the diversity of voices and opinions in City Hall. In 2016, Seattle created a Renters’ Commission to provide a platform similar to traditional Home Owners’ Associations, where members can have an input and act as advocates for their communities. By having residents involved with the Renters’ Commission, Seattle hopes to rebalance power and involvement in local politics, from a model traditionally dominated disproportionately by homeowners, to one more representative of the city’s actual diversity.

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Landlords Are Powerful. Here's A Way Renters Are Regaining Some Control.

Oliver Balch

November 09, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A growing number of tenant-focused websites are trying to level the power dynamic between shoddy landlords and tenants by giving tenants a voice. “There is a big power mismatch in today’s rental market, but it doesn’t have to be that way.” Amongst those is Rentlogic, which grades 1.1 million apartment buildings, but rather than relying on subjective comments the website provides a grade based on an algorithm.

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Florida Community Land Trust Makes Affordable Housing Part of Hurricane Recovery

Emily Nonko

September 05, 2018 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

A community land trust is helping people in the Keys find another home, after Hurricane Irma ravished the area. “Four cottages are expected to wrap construction this fall, with another five finished by early 2019.” The arrangement was made possible after two friends got together and formed the Florida Keys Community Land Trust, secured land from the county, and raised $1 million to build affordable disaster housing.

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This Chef Is Fighting Gentrification With Hot Chicken

Deonna Anderson

August 31, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nashville, Tennessee

A chef shows the "absurdity" of gentrification with a creative fundraising campaign. At one of Tunde Wey’s pop-up dinners, he charged $12 for a plate, but charged white people $30, to spark up conversations about racial wealth inequality. His H*t Chicken Sh*t, “a dinner series to end gentrification,” successfully raised $52,000 to go towards residents of North Nashville, “a historically Black neighborhood,” and their affordable housing.

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Voters OK'd Legal Aid for Tenants Facing Eviction — Now Comes the Hard Part

Andrew Stelzer

August 27, 2018 |

San Francisco Public Press |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Proposition F, passed in 2018 with an implementation deadline of July 2019, cements San Francisco as a key advocate in making legal representation accessible, especially in eviction cases. By passing a similar measure to one passed in New York, all renters now are eligible for legal counsel in eviction cases, regardless of their income level. The program is still in the early stages, but there is a potential for cost savings, too. With fewer evictions, there will likely be a lower demand for homeless and jail services.

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America's Real Estate System Pushes Rents Up And People Out. There's Another Way.

Jarrid Green

August 20, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

In Oakland, a community land trust helped Hasta Muerte, a local cafe, avoid eviction. All over the country, community land trusts are helping communities of color keep their affordable housing.

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These Tenants Are Leading the Largest Rent Strike in LA History

Armando Aparicio David Zlutnick

August 20, 2018 |

The Nation (New York) |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Faced with rising rent costs, despite shoddy living conditions, tenants decided to join a rent strike, and take their case to the courts. So far the tenants have won three cases, and lost three. But, together they form the largest rent strike in the history of Los Angeles.

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Meet The Island Communities Fighting Back Against Wealthy, Absent Landlords

Adam Weymouth

August 01, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Scotland

These tiny Scottish communities are taking control of their own The inhabitants of Eigg island in Scotland, raised $1.97 million dollars to buy the island they live on. Prior to that, the island had been privately owned by an absentee landlord and had fallen into demise. A pattern seen across Scotland which has the “highest concentration of private land ownership in the developed world.” However, “more than 560,000 acres of Scotland now rest in community ownership, with the government aiming to increase that figure to 1 million acres by 2020.”

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Why don't Seattle renters know their rights?

Josh Cohen

July 27, 2018 |

Crosscut |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

While Seattle’s City Council has taken steps to protect renters from rising costs and exploitative landlords, many tenants do not understand their rights. In order to address this disconnect, advocacy groups have organized “tenant rights boot camps” to educate renters about their rights and avenues of recourse under the law.

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