July 31, 2023 Federal Housing Finance Agency Request for Input:
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is a government agency in business with landlords; it regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, "Government Sponsored Enterprises," by offering them favorable loan terms with no strings attached.
As a result of tenant organizing against rent hikes, deplorable living conditions, and unprecedented rates of eviction, FHFA is currently deciding whether to condition government-backed loans on a set of tenant protections. Until July 31, 2023, FHFA held a request for input to inform their decision about tenant protections.
Florida is the frontline of state legislative assaults on tenants and has some of the weakest tenant protections in the nation. As such, tenants in Florida stand to benefit tremendously from federal regulations implementing basic protections. Florida, however, also has a robust tenant organizing eco-system that is fighting hard to counteract this power imbalance. Community groups, legal advocates, and everyday Floridians participated in the request for input comment period.
Over 3,400 comments were submitted to the FHFA. Here are some of the comment letters from our partners:
