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My name is Raye Winch and I work with the Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice in Tucson, AZ. The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice was formed in 2021 to combat the rampant eviction crisis, rent increase, and displacement crisis in Southern AZ. Average and median rents have risen 37-38% in Tucson between January of 2020 and January 2023. As local incomes have not kept pace with these increases, this has meant a dramatic increase in houselessness.

I am grateful for the FHFA for opening this space for input and for listening to tenants, housing advocates, and others who are standing up for the rights of renters. The FHFA has tremendous power and responsibility. Please use it to protect tenants and the right to housing.

FHFA, the loans the GSEs are granting have been fueling these rent increases by backing loans for landlords who are jacking up the rent. Some of these loans are even for properties purchased well above the assessed value, where payback is only possible if the rents are significantly increased and/or property maintenance decreased (usually both).

Why would the federal government use our collective resources to subsidize landlords to extract exorbitant rent? The Federal Housing Finance Agency should protect tenants and housing affordability. Landlords who receive FHFA backed loans should be limited in how much they can increase rent, limiting annual rent hikes to 1.5 times the Consumer Price Index or 3%, whichever is lower. These limits should be applied universally as a requirement to all federally backed mortgage programs.

Also, the FHFA should prohibit evictions without good cause on any property with a federally backed mortgage. Rental properties with a federally-backed loan should be prohibited from discriminating against people paying with federal housing vouchers (Housing Choice Vouchers) or any other source of income discrimination.

Furthermore, when a property goes up for sale, the tenants should be given ample notice and should have the first opportunity to purchase and the right of first refusal (such as the tenant purchase protections in Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Acts).

Tenant organizing should be universally protected, and at the very minimum should be protected in any property with a federally-backed loan.

Thank you for your consideration. I hope you will use your power and leverage to protect housing affordability and tenant rights.