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  • Comment Detail

  • Date: 07/25/23
    First Name: Jill
    Last Name: Norcross
    Email: jill.norcross@nvaha.org
    Organization Type: other
    Organization: Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance

  • Comment

    The Honorable Sandra Thompson Federal Housing Finance Agency Washington, D.C.

    Director Thompson,

    Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Request for Information on tenant protections. I am writing on behalf of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (www.nvaha.org). We are an advocacy and education organization based outside of Washington DC. Since I took over as Executive Director in January 2023, we have seen a marked increase in requests from tenants for rental assistance and protections. We need strong renter protection regulations for all household living in multifamily housing with federally back mortgages.

    In my state of Virginia, we have source of income protections that prohibit discrimination for households receiving Section 8 vouchers, SSI and local rental assistance. The FHFA should adopt the source of income protections as well.

    You should promote “just cause” eviction standards, which limit the causes for which a landlord can evict a tenant or refuse to renew a tenant’s lease when the tenant is not at fault or in violation of any law.

    You should prohibit rent gouging and unreasonable and frequent rent increases.

    We have seen the benefits of keeping people stably housed during the pandemic. Without renter protections we will see increases in homelessness, which NO community can afford. FHFA needs to work hard to keep renters protection from harmful laws that take advantage of vulnerable low-income renters. This is a racial and social justice issue. We can and should do better in housing with federally-backed mortgages.

    Thank you,
    Jill Norcross
    Executive Director