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My name is José Davila, I am 21 years old. My mother is a Special Needs Teacher Aid in a high-school nearby where we live and she supports me, my sister, and my grandmother. My sister and I also work, putting all of our money towards rent. Rent takes up more than 60% of our combined income despite us living in a single-bedroom apartment. It's even been raised by 30% in the past year, forcing me and my sister into picking up overnight shifts and buying cheaper, unhealthier foods. After paying rent we barely make ends meet, and the compounding question of whether or not we'll be able to continue doing so corrupts the already rare times we share eating, talking about our weeks, and taking care of each-other. Our management is rarely responsive, our building hallways are stained with piss and vomit, and our elevator hasn't worked since we moved in.

No one should be having to sacrifice their health for a home, yet for so many individuals and families, it is the only thing they haven't sacrificed yet. The rent is literally killing us. We need tenant protections now and they need to include limits on rent hikes, protections against evictions without good cause, banning source of income discrimination, expanding existing protections against discrimination, requiring safe and accessible housing conditions, creating a landlord registry, requiring fair and standardized leases, ensuring tenants have the right to organize, and creating an Office of Tenant Protections to enforce these rights in all properties with federally backed mortgages.