Beacon ‘Good Cause Eviction’ Bill is Applauded

BEACON – Members of Community Voices Heard (CVH) are applauding the Beacon Town Council’s 6 to 1 passage of local Good Cause Eviction legislation on March 8, 2022, calling it a game-changer for renters.

Under the newly passed legislation, landlords would be prevented from evicting tenants without “Good cause.” The law would protect responsible, paying tenants from eviction.

Rent increases would be tied to inflation, preventing landlords from abruptly increasing rents as a means of eviction. The legislation also provides respite for tenants facing abrupt, exorbitant rent increases. Landlords would also be prevented from using eviction as retaliation for organizing tenants’ associations or asking for needed repairs.

“Over the course of the past year, I have heard so many stories from tenants whose doors I knocked on telling me that it is the first time that anyone has considered the insecurity they live with. I have heard about families having to move abruptly, arbitrary rent increases, and the fear of being priced out of Beacon,” said CVH Member Leader and Beacon resident Tina Bernstein. “The passage of ‘Good Cause’ is a step toward creating security for my neighbors and for maintaining the diversity of my community. Now hopefully we can organize more for our vision of the kind of city we want with less fear. I love Beacon and want it to stay affordable to ALL of us.”

“As rents statewide continue to rise, more and more tenants are fearful that their rents will be raised to unaffordable levels, or that they’ll be evicted and replaced with tenants who can afford to pay rents that are two and three times higher,” said Juanita O. Lewis, Executive Director of Community Voices Heard. “Through this legislation, communities will have more stability because of less rental turnover and tenants will be able to stay in the homes they love. This is a game-changer for working-class renters.”

“Renters in Beacon can take a sigh of relief tonight; the time of frivolous evictions and unconscionable rent increases is behind us. Every eviction will get a fair day in court,” said bill sponsor Dan Aymar-Blair, who represents Ward 4. “I’m grateful to Community Voices Heard’s efforts to move this law and keep the city council focused on protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.” “This is a strong first step towards addressing housing affordability in Beacon and keeping Beacon diverse, interesting, and community-oriented,” said CVH Member Leader and Beacon resident Erin Ashkola. “I am proud to live in a community where homeowners and tenants are working together and we have a city council that doesn’t prioritize the interests of those with money over the members of our community who are working hard to make ends meet.”

Community Voices Heard is committed to supporting women, people of color, and low-income people, and is committed to building a model of co-governance with their communities