U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden announced today that the Department will host a community roundtable on Thursday, May 2 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET, to ensure tenants of USDA-financed properties know and understand their rights and protections.
USDA is committed to advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities to protect and educate renters and strengthen tenant protections.
Roundtable participants will be able to provide feedback and discuss additional ways USDA Rural Development can support their needs and advance these priorities. Participants will learn about important updates and resources from the Agency regarding their rights and responsibilities under tenant leases, protections under the Violence Against Women Act, and more.
To register, visit the registration webpage.
Background
On Jan. 25, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to increase housing fairness and rental affordability by releasing the Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights. The Blueprint is intended to support the development of policies and practices that promote fairness for Americans living in rental housing.
It establishes these five principles that create a shared baseline for fairness for renters in the housing market:
- Safe, Quality, Accessible and Affordable Housing
- Clear and Fair Leases
- Education, Enforcement, and Enhancement of Renter Rights
- The Right to Organize
- Eviction Prevention, Diversion, and Relief
The Blueprint and the federal actions that promote these principles were developed as part of a process to seek and distill input from people across the country. This includes tenants to housing providers, legal associations and advocates.
