NLIHC’s State and Local Innovation (SLI) project launched in April a new State and Local Tenant Protections Network (Network), a virtual convening involving a broad-based coalition of state and local organizations focused on introducing, passing, implementing, and enforcing laws, policies, and programs that strengthen renters’ rights; rectifying the power imbalance between landlords and tenants; and diverting the threat of eviction. Every month, the Network convenes to troubleshoot and workshop challenges, highlight tenant protection wins, and inquire about technical assistance support. Interested advocates can sign up for the Network here.
Formally launched in April, NLIHC’s SLI project works to promote several critical initiatives, including by (1) supporting state and local partners in advancing, implementing, and enforcing state and local tenant protections; (2) creating and sustaining emergency rental assistance programs; (3) preventing the criminalization of homelessness; and (4) providing technical assistance around state housing trust funds. By supporting the advancement of a broad range of housing innovations, the campaign works to keep eviction rates down and strengthen renters’ rights.
NLIHC’s State and Local Innovation project builds upon the success of the Coalition’s former End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions (ERASE) project, which ran from January 2021 to December 2023. Through ERASE, NLIHC worked with state and local partners across the country to ensure that the historic $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance funds appropriated by the federal government to support tenants during the pandemic was visible, preventative, and accessible and that funds reached the lowest-income and most marginalized tenants. It was through the ERASE project that NLIHC began tracking the passage of renter protections across the country, especially those enacted during the pandemic. As of 2024, the NLIHC’s State and Local Tenant Protections Database has compiled information on more than 350 pieces of legislation that have been passed since January 2021, while also including information on more than 650 total renter protections, such as rent stabilization ordinances; right to counsel policies and programs; and “just cause” eviction standards as well. More information on NLIHC’s ERASE campaign can be found here.
As noted, one the ways in which the SLI campaign supports state and local partners is through the monthly Network platform. The Network meets every fourth Thursday of the month from 3 to 4 pm ET, with the next Network call to take place on November 21, 2024. Registration for the calls can be found here.
Please contact Nada Hussein, SLI project coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions related to the State and Local Tenant Protections Network.