NLIHC’s new State and Local Innovation (SLI) project will convene this month a “State and Local Tenant Protections Network” (the Network), a broad-based coalition of state and local housing-justice advocacy groups that will focus 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. The Network will host its first call on April 25 from 3 to 4 pm ET. Sign up here!
The new State and Local Innovation project builds upon the success of NLIHC’s End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions (ERASE) project, a national campaign that ran from January 2021 to December 2023. Through collaboration with state and local partners on the ground, ERASE worked to successfully ensure that the historic $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance (ERA) passed by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic was able to reach the lowest-income and most marginalized renters efficiently and equitably. Read more about the ERASE project at: https://nlihc.org/erase-project
The SLI project will support several critical initiatives, including supporting state and local partners in advancing, implementing, and enforcing state and local tenant protections, sustaining emergency rental assistance (ERA) programs, preventing the criminalization of homelessness, and supporting the advancement of other innovations that keep eviction rates down and prevent homelessness. The SLI project will also aim to shape and inform federal policies that address the needs of the lowest-income and most marginalized renters in the U.S.
To support state and local organizations working on advancing tenant protections within their jurisdictions, the Network will host monthly meetings during which participants can troubleshoot and workshop challenges, highlight tenant protection wins, and inquire about technical and research support as needed. The group will meet every fourth Thursday of the month, from 3 to 4 pm ET. Participants are not required to attend every meeting and can do so according to their interest.
Sign up for the Network by filling out the interest form here.
Please contact Nada Hussein, SLI project coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions related to the State and Local Tenant Protections Network.