The Connection

Only Three Days Left to Advance Tenant Protections through FHFA’s Request for Input!

Jul 27, 2023

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is requesting input through July 31 on how the agency can create and enforce renter protections for the 12 million renters living in rental properties with federally backed mortgages. FHFA’s request for input (RFI) represents a key opportunity to advance a major priority in the HoUSed campaign’s policy agenda this year: strengthening federal renter protections to address the power imbalance between landlords and renters. NLIHC and our partner organizations are calling for robust responses to FHFA’s RFI from directly impacted people and tenant advocates.

Here are three actions to take before the July 31 deadline:

  1. Add your organization to NLIHC’s letter calling on FHFA to create strong federal renter protections.
  2. Submit a public comment to FHFA using NLIHC’s sample comment letter.
  3. Share this opportunity with your networks!

Background

FHFA’s RFI comes as a result of the Biden-Harris administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, which was released in January after a months-long effort to gather input from stakeholders. In meetings with senior White House officials, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel and NLIHC’s Tenant Leader Cohort urged the administration to take decisive action, including to establish renter protections for households living in properties with federally backed mortgages.

NLIHC’s top four priorities for federal renter protections include:

  1. Source-of-income protections to prohibit landlords from discriminating against households receiving housing assistance and to give families greater choice about where to live.
  2. “Just cause” eviction standards and the right to renew leases to help protect renters from housing instability.
  3. Anti-rent gouging protections to stop landlords from dramatically raising rents.
  4. Requirements to ensure housing is safe, decent, accessible, and healthy for renters and their families.

NLIHC urges FHFA to ensure these efforts are informed by people with lived experience throughout the process, advance racial and social equity, include strong enforcement, and are mandatory for all landlords and all properties. Learn more here.

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