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Hi my name is Lila and I'm an active member of KC Tenants in Kansas City Missouri. I moved to Kansas City in 2012 on a job relocation from Jersey City, New Jersey, and I have lived in Kansas City, Missouri for the past 10 years.

I’m a 40 year old who still rents because I simply cannot afford the down payment to buy a modest home in the neighborhood that I have lived in for the past 10 years.

I have rented from complexes that took Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans. I have experienced everything from regular water outages, pest infestations, water leaking through my windows, and heating and cooling systems that stopped working when outdoor temperatures were record highs and lows.

Every year, my rent goes up, and this year, my rent went up 5%. No improvements have been made to my apartment since I moved in in 2019.

My annual rent increases were always significantly higher than the annual cost of living increases my corporate job gave annually. I have moved three times in the past 10 years because of this.

The FHFA should limit annual rent hikes to no more than 3%, at apartment complexes that have used federally backed mortgages to buy buildings to add to their housing stock. Also, if the apartment complex has used Federal Loans to purchase buildings, everyone renting in the complex should not have their rent increased. To add, apartment complexes that have Federal Loans attached to them should be required to update units to meet modern energy conservation standards.

One of the biggest issues I have experienced renting is that older buildings are often not maintained, which causes utility bills to rise to unaffordable rates. Before moving into my current apartment, I used to rent in a building that was more energy efficient, and my power bills were really affordable. The reason I did not stay is that my rent increased, and I could not afford to rent the apartment.

My current apartment is somewhat affordable, but in the summers, I have to run the air conditioner to prevent mold from forming, and to keep the apartment cool. My apartment faces south, so I get direct sunlight during the day, I do preventable measures to keep my apartment cool in the summers such as cover the windows with blackout curtain, and keep the blinds closed. My TV, and computer are energy Star efficient electronics, so I know the bulk of my power bills is from my HVAC.

Even with every preventable measure I take, my utility bills in the summer have been as high as $200 a month (I live in 700 square feet)!

My building would actually be a great candidate for solar power, which would eliminate utility bills to just water and trash, which would make my apartment significantly more affordable.

With that said, as a renter who longs to own their own home, it's upsetting to learn that my landlords received federal loans, and all they do is just buy up more buildings and raise my rent. If my landlord really cared about providing housing for people, they would not be making it impossible for us to stay in our homes.