11,000 Hudson County tenants faced eviction in 2025.

More than 1,000 people were homeless.

That’s why Ron Bautista is committed to a Tenant Bill of Rights law, to establish a countywide framework so that the full County government apparatus will coordinate its efforts to make tenant protection, housing stability, the protection of tenants’ right to organize, and the development of nonprofit housing a continuing priority.

What would this County ordinance do?

1. Give Tenants Clear, Accessible Information

Tenants would have meaningful access to understandable information about:

• Their housing rights and responsibilities
• Organizing as tenants through education, convening, technical assistance, and partnerships with community organizations
• The lawful or legal rent for their apartment, rent protections and applicable restrictions
• Housing assistance and eviction-prevention resources

2. Build Toward Universal Legal Representation

Hudson County would establish a Tenant Legal Defense Program with the goal of ensuring that every tenant facing eviction or loss of housing can access legal help and representation.

The program could support:

• Legal advice and representation
• Early intervention, mediation, and dispute resolution
• Assistance responding to eviction proceedings

The goal is keeping people housed. With help early enough, cases may be resolved through mediation, settlement, dismissal, repayment agreements, or other solutions that prevent unnecessary displacement.

3. Build Sustainable, Permanently Affordable Nonprofit Housing

Hudson County should not only respond when people are at risk of losing their homes. We should increase the number of homes operated for long-term community benefit rather than primarily to maximize profit.

The County would establish a strategy to support nonprofit and mission-driven housing models that prioritize:

• Supporting nonprofit housing organizations in acquiring existing apartment buildings
• Preserving homes that are currently affordable, and converting at-risk housing into long-term affordable housing
• Supporting community land trusts and other permanently affordable housing models, including shared equity models
• Leveraging County investment with State, federal, philanthropic, and other mission-aligned funding

4. Make Housing Stability a Countywide Priority

The County would coordinate housing, legal, social service, nonprofit, and community resources so residents don't have to navigate a maze of disconnected programs on their own.

The concept of this ordinance is simple: set the goal, build the system, measure the results, and make government show its work.

Within 180 days of enactment of this ordinance, the County Executive shall submit an implementation plan and provide quarterly progress reports to the Board of County Commissioners.

The plan shall identify:

• responsible departments
• existing programs
• service gaps
• proposed performance measures
• funding requirements and sources
• opportunities for intergovernmental cooperation
• a timetable for implementation.

Sign the petition and add ideas

This is a working proposal, and I want feedback from the people who know Hudson County's housing challenges firsthand.

• What would make this genuinely useful to tenants?
• What protections or services are missing?
• How should Hudson County help build a sustainable nonprofit housing sector?
• What would make you trust that this will actually help people, not just create another government program?

This proposal is intended to start a conversation. Feedback from tenants, housing advocates, legal-service providers, nonprofit housing organizations, municipalities, and Hudson County residents will help shape the final legislation.