NLIHC’s national HoUSed campaign – and its nearly 2,000 member organizations – have a key opportunity this year to advance a major priority in the campaign’s policy agenda: strengthening federal renter protections to address the power imbalance between landlords and renters!
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a Request for Input (RFI) on how the agency can create and enforce renter protections for households living in rental properties with federally backed mortgages. Any renter protections created by FHFA could cover a significant share of renters across the nation and put America on a pathway towards stronger protections for all renters.
Advocates have until July 31, 2023, to weigh in with FHFA to demand and help shape strong renter protections. You can advance federal renter protections in the following ways:
- Submit a public comment by July 31. NLIHC, along with our partner organizations, are calling for a robust response to this RFI from tenants, tenant advocates, and directly impacted people It is critical that FHFA hear from you and as many advocates as possible in support of renter protections! Use NLIHC’s sample comment letter and resources from tenantcomment.org to craft your comment and submit it using a direct portal here.
- Sign on to NLIHC’s national support letter, calling on FHFA to create strong federal renter protections.
- Join our weekly working group on Renter Protections on Wednesdays at 4:00pm ET to help inform and strengthen NLIHC’s comment letter. Register for the weekly meeting here.
- Call on advocates in your community to participate! Share this information with your networks and encourage them to demand federal renter protections.
Submit Your Public Comment Today!
Top Priorities of NLIHC’s HoUSed Campaign
FHFA should establish clear, strong, and enforceable renter protections to address the power imbalance between landlords and renters and help keep families stably housed.
The NLIHC HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for new FHFA renter protections include:
- Source-of-income protections to prohibit landlords from discriminating against households receiving housing assistance and to give families greater choice about where to live.
- “Just cause” eviction standards and the right to renew leases to help protect renters from housing instability.
- Anti-rent gouging protections to stop landlords from dramatically raising rents.
- Requirements to ensure housing is safe, decent, accessible and healthy for renters and their families.
At a minimum, any renter protections established by FHFA should:
- Be informed by continued engagement with tenants and directly impacted people.
- Center on equity. Racial and social equity must be explicit goals.
- Set mandatory, standardized requirements for all landlords in all rental properties with federally backed mortgages. Renter protections should be applied to landlords with an existing or future federally backed-mortgage and all rental properties, including larger multifamily properties and smaller one-to-four-unit properties.
- Be paired with strong enforcement. Landlords who violate FHFA’s renter protections should be found to be in technical default and should not be eligible for future loans.
Submit Your Public Comment Today!
Background
What is this opportunity?
The FHFA is requesting information from the public about how the agency can create and enforce renter protections for households living in rental properties with federally backed mortgages.
Because more than 12 million renters live in properties with federally backed mortgages, any renter protections created by FHFA could cover a significant share of renters across the nation and put America on a pathway towards stronger protections for all renters.
You can read FHFA’s Request for Input (RFI) and submit comments here. Remember, your comment will be publicly available, but you can submit your comments anonymously if you prefer. Use NLIHC’s sample comment letter as a starting point.
Why is it important for advocates to take action?
Landlords and business interests will come out in full force to try to stop FHFA from protecting renters, so it is critical that advocates take action and make their voices heard!
FHFA is required to review all public comments as it crafts its approach to renter protections. The more it hears from advocates in support of renter protections, the more likely the agency will be to take bold action.
It is vital that FHFA hear directly from renters who can share their personal stories about why renter protections are needed and how these protections would impact them and their communities.
How do I submit a comment?
Advocates can submit their comment here, using NLIHC’s sample comment letter.
While you should be as clear and specific as possible about the renter protections you support, your comment does not have to be formal or in any specific format. Telling your story in your voice is powerful, and policymakers need to hear from you!
What is the FHFA?
The FHFA is a federal agency charged with overseeing the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchase mortgages from lenders for re-sale to investors as mortgage-backed securities, while the FHA provides mortgage insurance. By reducing risk and ensuring liquidity, these activities allow lenders to provide more mortgages, making it easier for borrowers – including homeowners and rental housing developers – to obtain loans.
More than one-quarter of all rental homes in the U.S. – more than 12 million rental homes – are financed with federally-backed mortgages. This includes nearly half of all rental homes in larger multifamily developments and 12% of rental homes in smaller one-to-four-unit properties. With such a broad reach, FHFA can play a critical role in enacting and enforcing renter protections.