Support renters’ futures by protecting them against unjust evictions
You always pay your rent on time, you’re a good neighbor, and you’ve never broken the conditions of your lease. But, that’s not enough to prevent you from being evicted, according to Connecticut’s current laws.
Our communities are crucial to who we are. Moving is hard and expensive, even when it’s planned. But predatory landlords can force you out for any reason, or none at all, due to no cause or no fault evictions. Nobody should be forced to uproot their lives when they’ve done nothing wrong.
Landlords have evicted more renters without a good reason over the past few years. About 9% of evictions landlords filed from August 2019 to February 2020 in Connecticut were without just cause. By February 2022, that jumped to 35%. Landlords also evict women and people of color at much higher rates than white tenants and men.
Allowing no cause evictions to continue enables predatory landlords to retaliate against renters who join tenant unions, complain about unsafe living conditions, and ask for necessary repairs.
Landlords can use no-fault evictions to discriminate based on age, gender, sex, or if you have a disability. Under the existing laws, it’s legal for a landlord to evict dozens of people at a property in order to jack up the rents for the next wave of tenants.
A no cause or no fault eviction also stays on your rental history record, even if you’ve done nothing wrong. That in turn makes it harder to find a place to live in the future.
Connecticut is in a cost-of-living crisis. It’s estimated that the state needs 98,144 more affordable rental units than it has, just for everyone who needs a home to have one. About 40% of low-income households are spending more than 30% of their paychecks on rent and utilities – a higher percentage than most can afford. If someone is evicted without cause, unexpectedly paying first month’s rent, plus up to two months’ rent for a security deposit for a new home, is thousands of dollars working class families can’t afford to spend.
Other states like New Jersey and New Hampshire have already expanded the right to a just cause eviction. Enacting similar legislation here in Connecticut, such as House Bill 6889, would expand the right to just cause eviction to all tenants. We’re proud to be in coalition with the Connecticut Tenants’ Union and others in supporting that bill.
You shouldn’t have to stress about leaving the community you love, changing your child’s school, or having a longer commute because your landlord kicked you out for no reason. Renters deserve peace of mind, and lawmakers need to take action to make it happen.
You can take action today. Tell your legislators to support H.B. 6889 now.
