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  • Comment Detail

  • Date: 10/17/22
    First Name: Bailey
    Last Name: Byrum
    Organization: N/A
    City: N/A
    State: N/A
    Attachment: N/A
    Number: RIN-2590-AB21

  • Comment

    Dear Director Thompson and FHFA team,

    My name is Bailey and I live in North Charleston, South Carolina. I’m writing in response to the FHFA Multifamily Enterprise Housing Goals Proposed Rule Comment Request: ‘Community Support Requirements, (No. 2022–N–11) Multifamily Enterprise Housing Goals Proposed Rule.

    My boyfriend and I have lived together for 3.5 years and are paying more rent than we ever have in our lifetimes. We pay $1825 a month for a 2 bed, 2 bath place that we have had to find a roommate for. We also consider ourselves incredibly lucky as we have some of the LOWEST rent in our neighborhood. Other people in our area pay $2250-$2500 for housing comparable to our place. My sister has now moved in with us to help pay rent and before that, she could not afford to live on her own. All of us have solid, working class jobs in hospitality in a very hospitality focused town and we can barely afford to live here. And again, we are some of the lucky ones who have managed to keep our heads above water and stay housed. Many coworkers we have have not been so lucky. I’ve never worked with so many unhoused people in my life. Where they hold a full time job and cannot find anywhere but the local shelter or park to live.

    The rent is too damn high and I’m counting on FHFA to take every possible action to regulate rents for all properties with federally backed mortgages. If our public money is financing the business of making money on our homes, the least that you can do as a regulator is attach conditions to these resources that benefit the people. FHFA has successfully taken bold action in the past to help protect tenants during COVID-19 and to look out for residents of manufactured housing, and I am counting on FHFA to take similar action to help tenants like me during this time of intense economic hardship.

    I am a member of SCHJN and a leader with the Homes Guarantee campaign. The Homes Guarantee campaign is led by over 52 tenant-led organizations from all corners of the country. We have a long term vision for a world where everyone has access to safe, sustainable and TRULY affordable housing. In the short term we are organizing to win an executive order on rent regulation from the President— see more here: https://damnhighrent.com

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you would like to get in touch with me, please contact Grace White, the Homes Guarantee Organizer at g.white@peoplesaction.org.
    Sincerely,
    Bailey