Goldsmith Housing/Homelessness Q4
Shelter is a basic human necessity, but far too often, we have treated having a stable home as a privilege. Our state is finally making progress, with an anti-rent gouging bill advancing out of the state legislature’s Senate Judiciary, and notable progress at the local level. This will help to level the playing field between tenants and landlords. Of particular concern are huge corporate landlords like Blackstone that use the red herring of protecting small mom and pop landlords to distract from their efforts to increase corporate profits at the expense of vulnerable tenants. They also buy properties in mass, displaying long-standing community members and destabilizing the housing market. In addition to housing justice, Liberty Hill is deeply committed to criminal and youth justice. Unfortunately, many individuals re-entering society after incarceration are denied housing. Private landlords refuse to sign a lease. Public housing authorities block applications. How can we expect our community members to successfully re-enter society without a roof over their heads? This is unacceptable. We must do better.
