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Comment

Virginia Organizing has seventeen chapters across the state in urban and rural areas. Most of our chapters are currently working on housing campaigns due to the lack of affordable, safe, and quality housing. Creating federal tenant protections would go a long way to address the housing crisis. These protections should extend to all landlords with a federally-backed mortgage and to all rental properties. Tenants need protection to organize to ensure that protections are sufficient and enforced. Rising eviction levels in Virginia require "just cause" eviction protections and rent regulations that prevent landlords from sharply increasing rents to push tenants out. Like in the rest of the country, there aren't enough Section 8 vouchers to meet the need. At a minimum, current holders need protections from source of income discrimination. In several communities where are chapters are located, one of the most pressing issues has been housing conditions. Tenants regularly report unsafe or unhealthy conditions not being addressed by landlords. Virginia's statewide building code has no standard for mold. No renter should have to live in housing conditions that put their health or safety at risk.