A new bill from Senate Democrats will expand organizing and advocacy protections for low-income tenants, one of a growing number of legislative proposals to address the national housing shortage ahead of next year’s congressional session.
The bill from Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and others would extend the right to form a tenant union to Section 8 voucher recipients and people living in subsidized units of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) buildings. Tenant union privileges are currently reserved for public housing residents.
The Tenants' Right to Organize Act includes provisions that protect tenants against retaliation from landlords and establish new enforcement protocols for the Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The bill also has funding for tenant........