In Maryland, hardworking, renting families find themselves in the midst of a challenging housing crisis through no fault of their own. Maryland families are already facing drastic economic uncertainty. They do not need to fear an unjust, discriminatory, and arbitrary eviction. However, they do. When it comes to lease renewals, our current state laws allow landlords to decline renewing leases without offering any reasons. This instability forces thousands of dedicated, long-time renters into the heart-wrenching experience of eviction through lease non-renewals. These displaced renters find themselves without any means to challenge this situation and are left scrambling to secure new homes for themselves and their families. These unexpected and costly relocations disproportionately affect our low-income neighbors and communities of color, placing an unjust burden on those who can least afford it.

Local counties eager to rectify this inequality and rebalance the power dynamic between landlords and renters find themselves unable to enact legislation to address this issue. I stand with Maryland renters and support local enabling legislation to ensure that renters are not arbitrarily evicted from their homes. Local enabling legislation such as Just Cause would provide renters with the protections they need from unjust, discriminatory, and arbitrary eviction.