Montgomery County Young Democrats Testimony in Support of the Stable Homes Act-HB 574

Posted by mocoyoungdems on

Dear Members of the House Environment and Transportation Committee,

We are the Montgomery County Young Democrats, an organization which represents Democrats between the ages of 14 and 35. We firmly urge the House Environment and Transportation Committee to support HB 574 (the Montgomery County Stable Homes Act), sponsored by Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins and the Montgomery County Delegation. We believe this bill is essential to defend Montgomery County tenants from unjust evictions and protect them from landlord mistreatment.

This bill would prohibit a landlord from evicting a tenant from a leased premise in Montgomery County without just cause. The bill lists out the just causes under which landlords have the right to evict tenants. These range from substantial lease violations to good faith efforts to reclaim the property for various purposes.

The Montgomery County Stable Homes Act exempts just cause requirements if the property is occupied by the landlord and if the landlord only leases out a single unit; if the tenant’s initial lease was conditioned on employment and that employment has expired; or if the landlord does not own more than two family rental properties.

When families are evicted, they lose more than just their homes. Children perform worse in school, adults face the risk of job loss, families lose many of their possessions and face a decline in mental and physical health. ​Stable housing contributes to improved educational outcomes, which is made even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic as students must study from their homes.

The Stable Homes Bill still preserves the rights of landlords while ensuring tenants are not unfairly and improperly evicted from their homes.

We thank Delegate Wilkins for her persistent effort to advance this legislation. We urge the committee to favorably report the Stable Homes Bill, and the legislature to promptly pass it without delay.

Thank you for your continued service to the residents of Montgomery County.. Please email us at mocoyoungdems@gmail.com or give us a call at 925-708-1135 with any questions.

Sincerely,

The Montgomery County Young Democrats