LYNN — The City Council was expected to vote on the Housing Stability Ordinance on Tuesday, but the meeting and vote have been postponed to the next meeting, on Nov. 26.
The proposed ordinance seeks to inform residents of their rights as tenants and increase access to resources available. It will apply to all rental units throughout the city.
It was written in collaboration with the Law Department and several housing advocacy and legal groups. It would require landlords to provide tenants with essential information about their rights and resources available to them within five days of the tenancy beginning, upon the termination of an existing one, or at the same time as issuing an eviction notice.
“The purpose of this ordinance is to inform residents of Lynn of housing rights and resources available to them including rights and resources if they receive an eviction notice and to share information and resources with landlords and management companies to maintain housing stability for Lynn tenants,” the ordinance reads.
Northeast Legal Aid drafted the document detailing tenants’ rights and resources for the landlords to share with their tenants.
The idea for the Housing Stability Ordinance came from the city’s housing production plan, according to Mayor Jared C. Nicholson.
“Over the past several years our administration has been working with many stakeholders to make significant progress in implementing recommendations from Housing Lynn, the City of Lynn’s housing production plan (HPP),” he said. “This proposed ordinance is consistent with Housing Lynn’s recommendations including the overall strategy ‘to adopt policies that protect the rights of Lynn renters despite changes in the market.’”
The Housing Stability Ordinance is modeled after similar ordinances in Somerville and Cambridge, both of which Lynn consulted with while drafting it. The final version of the document will be available in multiple languages and accessible on the city website.
“With housing such a major problem, this is a huge step in the right direction for tenants,” Ward 4 City Councilor Natasha Megie-Maddrey said. “By ensuring landlords provide tenants with essential information on their rights, we’re empowering tenants to advocate for themselves and avoid situations that could lead to displacement.”
