NLIHC’s State and Local Innovation (SLI) project’s State and Local Tenant Protections Network (Network) is a virtual convening space that gathers together a coalition of state and local organizations focused on introducing, passing, implementing, and enforcing laws, policies, and programs that strengthen renters’ rights, rectify the power imbalance between landlords and tenants, and divert the threat of eviction. Every month, the Network convenes to troubleshoot and workshop challenges, highlight tenant protection wins, and discuss best practices in technical assistance. As legislative sessions around the country begin this month, advocates are invited to join the Network. Register to join the Network here.
In addition to supporting the advancement, implementation, and enforcement of state and local tenant protections, NLIHC’s SLI project works to advance several critical initiatives, including (1) creating and sustaining emergency rental assistance programs; (2) preventing the criminalization of homelessness; and (3) providing technical assistance around state housing trust funds. By supporting the advancement of a broad range of housing innovations, the project aims to support – and create – housing innovations that keep eviction rates down and strengthen renters’ rights.
The SLI project builds upon the success of NLIHC’s 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 amid the public health crisis 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 COVID-19 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.
The Network meets every fourth Thursday of the month from 3 to 4 pm ET. The next Network call will take place on January 23 from 3 to 4 pm ET. This month, the call will focus on source-of-income protections. Lisa Chapman, director public policy at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, will join the call to discuss recent efforts to pass source-of-income protections in Michigan. Such protections, which were codified into law through “Senate Bill 205,” “Senate Bill 206,” and “Senate Bill 207” in Michigan in December 2024, ensure that tenants are not denied housing opportunities due to their income status. Register here.
Please contact Nada Hussein, SLI project coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions related to the State and Local Tenant Protections Network.