Grassroots Organizing Pushes Legislature to Cap the Rent

As tenants across the state and country struggle for housing stability, a shared vision is emerging for a Connecticut where everyone has a dignified place to lay down roots in their community.

An alarming trend of corporate firms hoarding housing to increase profits continues to devastate thousands of families suddenly facing eviction.

Most evictions are filed in cities with the largest numbers of people of color including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Britain. All except New Britain are on the Princeton Evictions Lab’s top evicting cities.

A movement of tenants facing unfair rent increases and evictions is being organized. This fight for rent stability inspired State Sen Gary Winfield to introduce SB 138 to cap annual rent increases at 2.5% and expand good cause eviction protections.

Next, Sen Jorge Cabrera introduced SB 37 which would protect the often forgotten 11,000 mobile home owners in Connecticut facing unfair rent lot increases and oppressive lease modifications from corporate park owners. 

This growing movement for rent stability propelled the legislator's Housing Committee to introduce HB 6588, which would require a 90 day notice of rent increases and limit increases to 4% plus annual inflation. This means landlords could raise rents up to 10% this year.

The proposed bill has other weaknesses. It would exempt new construction for 15 years and fails to provide stabilization in between tenants. When a unit becomes vacant, landlords could increase rents at higher than usual rates.

Even with these weaknesses, corporate landlords and their friends are coalescing to oppose HB 6588.

Tenants are coming together in support of a strengthened version of the bill. The power of grassroots organizing is changing the scope of what is possible to win.

Cap the Rent, a coalition of more than 40 organizations, is mobilizing for next week's public hearing to make sure the Housing Committee and legislative leaders hear strong support from tenants to cap rent increases at 2.5%, cover tenants in between vacancies and expand good cause eviction protections for all tenants.

Hearing date and sign up opportunities to testify in person or on zoom will be announced for February 14th or 16^th by the Housing Committee.

It will take unity in large numbers to achieve a shared vision of housing stability for all.