Comment Detail

Comment

To Whom It May Concern:

I'm writing to voice support for the tenant protections that your agency is considering. All of the proposals -- from limiting arbitrary rent increases, to ending evictions without cause, and standardizing leases -- strike me as simple, yet common sense measures that will offer tenants a stronger level of protection than they have had in decades. Obviously, more work needs to be done, but these proposals seem like strong first steps.

As someone who has experienced an equal case of rent sticker shock ($200 in two years), I know the feeling well, and can definitely relate to others who have witnessed the phenomenon. I remain hopeful that we can get to a better place, and leave this type of sticker shock in the same historical filing cabinet as the Nehru jacket, the pet rock, and the Sears cocktail dress.

I stress this, in light of corporate landlords flooding your web portal with their own full-throated defense of the status quo. My simple response to their actions is that if the status quo really worked so well, your agency would hardly be looking at ways to change it.

I trust that your agency and its staff will see this blatant attempt at "ballot box stuffing" for what it is -- and respond appropriately.

I urge the FHFA to adopt the proposals as presented, in hopes that they will represent the first real building block toward a fairer type of market system that runs on something other than the siren song of double-digit profit, and feral capitalism for its own sake. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Ralph Heibutzki