Posted January 31, 20228:47 am
People in Cleveland have been struggling to pay their rents since the pandemic began and not much has changed, even though other Ohio cities have adopted renters’ rights laws, and Cleveland renters still struggle to secure housing.
Next Wednesday, Feb. 9, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), is partnering with several other area homeless advocates to host a virtual Renters’ Rights Teach-In.
NEOCH, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM), Neighborhood Connections, and the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research are hosting the Teach-In—a community conversation about renter issues and imagining housing justice in Cleveland—to help people learn about their rights as renters and how to stay in their homes.
"Renters' rights are important because people should be treated equally regardless of if they own property or not," says Molly Martin, NEOCH’s director of strategic initiatives. "When we treat housing like a privilege and not a right, renters are vulnerable to so much instability.”
Martin says this Teach-In will help renters understand their rights and their options. “They're at the whim of an owner who can decide to sell the property to a new developer, they can raise the rent to attract someone who can pay more, or they can legally evict you for being just a few days late on rent, even if you show up with the money and late fees. What renters don't know can't help them."
The program is open to all renters, and those who want to learn more about ongoing advocacy in Cleveland.
The Teach-In occurs Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 5:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Visit NEOCH.org to learn more about the program or click here to register.
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Read the story at Freshwater Cleveland: Homeless advocates to host virtual Teach-In on renters’ rights (freshwatercleveland.com)