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When I first moved to Tucson in December 2020 to the Saddle Ridge Apartments, my rent was 860/mo before utilities. This was affordable and I was making around 38,000/yr. However, every year my rent was increased by 10%. By the time I moved out, my rent would have been around 1100/mo, before utilities, and I was in a new job making around 47,000/yr, and even with that salary I could BARELY afford rent. Luckily, I was able to move in with my partner at his new house, but not everyone has that kind of privilege. A lot of my neighbors were retired and elderly and had fixed incomes. All of them I talked to were concerned about the rent hikes and had to think about where they would even go, which is really sad. I had to spend way less on things like groceries just to have more money for rent.

The federal government NEEDS to address these ridiculous rent hikes. The Houseless population has increased in Tucson by an insane amount since COVID and inflation, and no one is doing anything about it. I am sick of the top 1%-5% benefiting from the suffering of the oppressed. Also, BEING A LANDLORD IS NOT A PROFESSION. IT IS NOT A JOB. IT IS PREDATORY.

Some suggestions: (1) Protect tenants from and limit egregious rent hikes. (2) Prohibit evictions without good cause, ensuring every tenant has the right to lease a renewal. Good cause is defined as serious and repeated lease violations provable in a court of law. (3) PROHIBIT LANDLORDS from discriminating against tenants based on their source of income including federal housing assistance (4) Enforce existing laws that prohibit landlords from denying a tenant rental housing based on race, physical or mental ability, and family make-up, and expand protections to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, immigration status, conviction and/or arrest history, bankruptcy history, eviction history, or credit score. (5) Require all landlords to keep their properties in good condition, and to ensure homes are accessible for people with disabilities. No renter should have to live in an inaccessible home or in housing conditions that put their health and safety at risk. (6) Tenants should have access to information about their landlord including their name and phone number. (7) Tenants have the right to form tenants’ unions or resident councils free from fear of retaliation from the landlord or managing agent. Ownership and management representatives must not interfere with the creation or actions of tenant organizations. (8) Landlords must use standardized and clearly defined leases free of abusive terms. (9) A team charged with protecting tenants and enforcing their rights in properties with federally backed mortgages.