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Comment

I work daily with clients who are living in unsafe and unfair conditions. In communities without a warrant of habitability, people live in conditions that have major adverse impacts on their health and safety. I myself have lived in rental housing that caught fire due to poorly maintained electrical systems, with major bug infestations, where chunks of wet drywall would fall from the ceiling when it rained due to a hole in the roof, and the list goes on. I've had clients with ongoing respiratory issues due to black mold, or who have gone months without hot water. Or who have been forced to use space heaters due to lack of heat and have to make up the difference through their electric bill. And there is no recourse for tenants in these situations. They cannot legally withhold rent. Even in situations where these conditions would constitute a breach of lease, they can still be evicted. If the tenant calls code compliance and the property is condemned, then they become unhoused again anyway. What is needed is true accountability for maintaining the properties that human beings are living in. Landlords should be held to some minimum standards for habitability, and tenants should not have to pay if their housing is putting them in danger.