U.S. renters are afraid of higher rents and eviction because of energy-efficient homes

Focus of policymakers on emissions from buildings and homes

Renters are concerned that home renovations could lead to displacement

Pennsylvania protects tenants with green push

By Carey L Biron

As homes and buildings contribute more than one-third of the U.S. greenhouse gases, policymakers are now pushing landlords for weatherization, energy efficiency improvements and replacing old fossil fuel appliances.

There is growing concern, however, that these incentives may also encourage landlords to increase rents or evict tenants under the pretext of eco-friendly upgrades.

Rent regulations and other protections are needed to keep tenants in their homes.

Federal funding of tens of billions for decarbonization of buildings is expected to be available. Local mandates in New York, California, and elsewhere are also being implemented.

Connecticut tenants are on edge because investors from New York, which is nearby, have flooded into the state.

Luke Melonakos Harrison, vice president for the Connecticut Tenants Union said that "lots" of evictions had occurred as owners are required to repay loans based on rent increases.

"We've seen landlords raise rents for no reason at all.

He and others want to expand the "just cause" protections, which limit reasons for evictions. They also want it to cover green renovations and other types of improvements.

The Connecticut Apartment Association and other landlords have warned that the bill will slow down the construction of new housing, and worsen the shortage.

Krystal Garca, a property manager, told lawmakers that the narrative that landlords are using lapses in time to renovate and raise rents was overblown. Nobody wants to remove a good tenant.

Tenants say that they are concerned. Connecticut Tenants Union head Sarah Giovanniello told the Connecticut Tenants Union that a new owner purchased her 70-unit two-story apartment building in New Haven, Connecticut in 2021. The landlord made minor improvements before attempting to double rents.

The landlord installed four chargers for electric vehicles in February, even though only one resident had an EV. This situation, Giovanniello explained, made the residents nervous.

She said that the landlord would give us any money he spent on him.

The property owners' upgrades could actually harm tenants more than they help.

Local Protections

A March report examined the possible impacts of the decarbonization effort in Los Angeles and New York.

Chelsea Kirk, a Director with Strategic Actions for a Just Economy in Los Angeles, an economic justice non-profit that published the report with her, stated for years, she has seen California renters stuck with higher or even worse rents following construction.

How much is the tenant responsible for if a landlord makes a $15,000 retrofit? She said that the answer was 100%. I've seen some landlords start construction just to evict a tenant.

Kirk predicts that a similar pattern will emerge if "fundamental tenant protections" are not implemented in communities all across the nation to accompany the push towards building decarbonization.

It has been difficult to raise awareness of such needs because environmental and housing advocacy have traditionally operated separate.

Amneh Minkara has worked to close this gap. She published a policy briefing with Climate and Community Institute in October.

The article examines the "good-cause" eviction efforts in Connecticut, the rent stabilization program in St. Paul and tenants' rights to organize in Kansas City, as well as habitability standards and other issues in Los Angeles.

Ruthy Gourevitch is the housing policy director at the Institute of Housing Policy. She said that renter protections are a local issue.

Gourevitch explained that most of the tenant protections he works on are done at a state or local level and can be achieved through direct negotiation between tenants and landlords.

PENNSYLVANIA MOTORS

The Pennsylvania Whole-Home Repairs Law, sponsored by state senator Nikil Sval, funds home improvements, but there is a condition: landlords are not allowed to raise the rents above base rents for more than three percent per year during a specified period.

In an interview, Saval stated that he did not want the costs of maintenance to be passed onto tenants. This would make these apartments unaffordable.

This law has inspired similar efforts in many other states. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania senator, is also co-sponsoring a federal bill.

Rachel Mulbry is a director at the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation. She said that Philadelphia, the largest city in the state, offers forgivable loan repayments for landlord repairs, as long as the rent is affordable for 10 years.

Joseph Achenbach has no complaints about the trade-off. He owns a dozen properties around Philadelphia.

He used the program recently to install a high-efficiency system in a three-bedroom row home that is eligible for rental subsidies. The old boiler and water heating were also replaced.

(source: Reuters)