UACT in the News
Locals News articles featuring UACT.
“Katherine King, a member of United Athens County Tenants, also spoke on the benefits of the ordinance saying it can expand the protection for tenants who were sexually harassed by their landlords. She noted that her group, along with other local organizations, organized a panel and it became clear that harassment by landlords is a widespread issue.”
“Katherine King, an Athens resident and member of United Athens County Tenants, spoke to Council about other benefits of the right to pay-to stay, including added protections for tenants who face sexual harassment by their landlords. ‘
Landlords can exploit their ability to evict tenants as soon as they are late on rent — we've seen this happen in the past when landlords want to retaliate against their tenants for turning down sexual favors,’ King said.”
“UACT calls on Athens city government to stand firmly behind its anti-discrimination legislation. There are many ways to ensure the legislation has its intended effect. The city can send information about the ban to all registered landlords and inform tenants via posters in public spaces and on city social media pages. Most importantly, the city can show landlords that our community is serious about protecting tenants by taking legal action against landlords who continue to discriminate.”
“Athens offers a number of traditional, government-subsidized, affordable housing options for low-income residents, though some groups, like the United Athens County Tenants, believe there are not enough. For Athens residents who do not qualify for government-subsidized housing, many residents have struggled finding rental properties with affordable prices, especially because of the effects of student housing on the local market.”
“UACT Member Reagan Neviska said the content of the advertisement for Jones’s property appeared discriminatory. ‘
It’s kind of hard to compare, but if someone said they wouldn’t rent to someone on the basis of race or gender, or any of the other protected classes, you would be absolutely shocked,’ Neviska said. ‘We should be thinking of it in that way. You’re actively discriminating against someone because of their source of income and using HUD vouchers, and it’s classism.’”
Make it stand out
“‘Improving the material conditions of those in poverty or those experiencing homelessness is so important,’ said Nelsonville resident Lori Boegershausen, a member of United Athens County Tenants, which helped create the care packages. ‘If a person doesn’t have food or the necessities to be warm or survive, they’re not going to be able to create a better life for themselves.’”
“Reagan Neviska, a member of United Athens County Tenants, said ‘landlord education’ about the HUD vouchers could help the situation in Athens County, because many landlords do not ‘realize that’s something they can offer and what that means for them.’”
“Lee describes a quid pro quo relating to housing discrimination as a ‘situation where a landlord, or an employee or agent (anyone working on behalf of an owner)… determine how services are to be rendered, based on whether or not you submit to unwelcome advances… that would be considered a violation of fair housing law.'‘“
“Tenants have a right to housing that is free of discrimination by others, including sexual harassment — meaning “landlords, their managers, and other employees must take action to stop harassment when they become aware of it whether it is by an employee or by one tenant against another,” according to the materials from HUD Lee shared. “
“Other organizations offering resources at the event included Integrated Services for Behavioral Health, the Area 14 Workforce Development Board, Athens Halting Opioid Abuse through Prevention and Education, Athens County Children Services, United Athens County Tenants and Southeast Ohio Legal Services.”
“
Neviska said these policies include a ‘pay to stay’ ordinance, which would allow tenants to avoid eviction due to nonpayment of rent as long as they are able to pay prior to an eviction hearing; a ‘just cause’ eviction ordinance, which would limit the grounds on which tenants can be evicted; and a ban on ‘source of income discrimination,’ which would prohibit landlords from denying the payment of rent through government vouchers.”
“But we still have our work cut out for us. Athens County has the absolute worst housing problems in all Ohio, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Our home ownership rate is much lower, and our poverty rate much higher, than the national rates. We have the worst income inequality in Ohio. We also have the state’s highest percentage of ‘rent overburdened’ tenants, with 55% of renter households spending more than 35% of their gross incomes on rent.”
“At City Council’s June 7 meeting, Krane read a letter on behalf of the United Athens County Tenants (which has advocated for the passing of a ban on source of income discrimination) and eight additional organizations, imploring City Council to pass the ordinance. ‘
Without this ordinance, Athens tenants could be refused housing solely because they receive government assistance to pay their rent, he read.”
“Boegerhausen said the United Athens County Tenants organization believes letters were sent to tenants notifying them of the changes, but a copy has not been provided to The Messenger by the Friday print deadline. She noted the lack of HUD units in the area. ‘
I live in Nelsonville, and it’s nearly impossible to find multiple bedroom apartments that are HUD approved,” she explained. “A lot of landlords don’t make HUD housing a priority, and there’s a myth that Section 8 tenants are bad and will destroy property — that is very much a misnomer.’”
“United Athens County Tenants hosted a panel Thursday on affordable housing in Athens County, inviting residents to tune in while experts answered questions regarding the issue and potential solutions.”
"On behalf of UACT, we work with quite a few tenants who receive vouchers and have struggled to find housing because of source of income discrimination. Our organization helps people find new units, and beyond the many units that have HUD restrictions, most landlords within city limits have refused to accept vouchers,” King said."
“The issue has been brought to the forefront in Athens by activists like Damon Krane, an Independent running at-large for City Council who’s affiliated with advocacy group United Athens County Tenants, who say the city is long overdue in enacting these protections for renters. Lee and Schwallie have also in the past called on local landlords to accept housing vouchers.”