In mid-June, New Jersey joined the ranks of jurisdictions making it illegal for landlords to discriminate against convicted criminals. Because of the large percentage of convicted criminals who are “people of color,” the law is being hailed as a reform of the criminal justice system and a step toward racial equity. The law prohibits landlords…
Progressives in Washington State are applauding recently passed laws giving tenants expanded “rights.” The laws include greater restrictions on the ability of landlords to evict tenants, the right to counsel during evictions, and a requirement that landlords offer a “reasonable” payment plan for tenants who are behind on their rent. Despite the rhetoric of Progressives,…
Last week, the New York Assembly passed a bill that will make it easier for tenants to sure their landlord when certain repairs have not been performed. The bill would allow judges to provide any relief they choose, including a monetary judgment to the tenant. Earlier this year, the state extended its eviction moratorium until…
Housing advocates lament the fact that a full-time worker making minimum wage can’t afford a two-bedroom apartment. This, they want us to believe, is an example of the affordable housing crisis. But they fail to explain why a two-bedroom apartment is the standard. They fail to explain why a one-bedroom apartment or a studio apartment…
In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times has called for the federal government to dramatically expand its housing subsidy program (often called Section 8). Currently, the Los Angeles Housing Authority administers 58,000 Section 8 vouchers. However, the authority estimates that 600,000 vouchers are needed to provide vouchers to everyone who qualifies. If the Housing Authority…
While proclaiming that the city has an affordable housing crisis, Seattle’s city council is doing everything imaginable—and a few things that are unimaginable—to make the crisis worse. In 2020, the city council passed a law that prohibits evictions from December 1 to March 1. But apparently that wasn’t enough to satisfy housing advocates, and Seattle’s…