LYNN — On Tuesday evening, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of the Housing Stability Ordinance, which comes into effect immediately.
The ordinance would require tenants to provide renters with an essential understanding of their rights, as well as increasing renters’ accessibility to helpful resources, in order to fight back against unjust practices of landlords. This would come into play any time the renting process is started, or when the eviction of a resident is initiated. The new ordinance applies to all rental units within the Lynn community.
It was noted during the City Council meeting that the new ordinance aligns with recommendations from Housing Lynn, the city’s housing production plan, to adopt policies that help protect the rights of renters. The council saw the ordinance as a great chance to increase both awareness and accessibility to this data for any resident who may be struggling.
The city has been in communication with surrounding areas who have adopted similar ordinances, such as Boston, and has partnered with North East Legal Aid to develop the actual packet of information that landlords would provide to their tenants.
There were also several amendments to the ordinance which further clarified requirements regarding translation, and created a mandatory baseline for record-keeping, which allows for a more streamlined collection of information.
To address possible weak-spots within the ordinance, the city has been working with council members and various housing organizations, such as Lynn United for Change and Neighbor to Neighbor.
During the meeting, the council chambers were filled with residents and members of housing organizations that sought to support the passing of the ordinance and speak on behalf of its potential impact to tenants in Lynn.
“[The Housing Stability Ordinance] is a small but very important step in the fight for housing as a human right,” Surielis Suriel, member of Lynn United for Change said. “We are so glad to see this proposal reflects the needs and ideas of the tenants and homeowners we work with.”
Suriel continued, “We know that this one Housing Stability law is not going to solve the housing crisis alone. But we also know from our experience working with thousands of tenants and homeowners that a little bit of information and support can go a very long way.”
