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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 3, 2024 09:28 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Tracy Pennycuick |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Protecting Tenants Who are Victims of Violent Crime and Abuse |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that will protect tenants’ rights when they are victims of violent crimes or domestic abuse. In the aftermath of abuse and violent crime, victims often face challenges in maintaining safe and stable housing. For example, they may need to end a lease early to flee from abuse, or change their locks to stay safe. Staying in their current home may expose the victim and their family to further violence. Ending a lease early can mark the victim’s credit score, however, and lead to costly and stressful legal issues, in addition to making it harder for a person to find housing in the future. A 2022 national survey of crime victims found that more than half of violent crime victims wanted to relocate following a violent crime yet nearly half (44%) of those were unable to. Just 5% of violent crime victims received emergency or temporary housing, compared to 1 in 3 who would have wanted it but did not receive it. More than 1 in 4 violent crime victims feared being forced out of their housing or were evicted as a result of their victimization. No survivor should have to choose between their safety and the financial consequences of ending a lease early. This proposal would provide clarity for landlords and support for victims of violent crime and abuse who are faced with this perilous dilemma, authorizing victims and their loved ones to terminate a lease if they need to relocate, or if they wish to stay, change the locks on their units to make them more secure. It would also protect tenants from losing their housing due to their victimization or because they needed to make emergency calls for help. Currently, Pennsylvania is one of only 10 states that has no statewide protections for victims who need to end a lease early to relocate. This proposal would ensure greater safety for violent crime and abuse victims in the Commonwealth, and greater clarity for landlords statewide on procedures to support tenants in the aftermath of a violent victimization. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that will help make a significant impact in the lives of victims of violence and abuse. |