The Dayton Tenant Union is launching a new effort to support renters who don’t know their rights.
"This is how we develop solutions by also educating people on a larger scale," Destiny Brown said. She is a community organizer with the Dayton Tenant Union.
She said the group is now hosting information sessions for renters in the Miami Valley area so they know their rights and responsibilities.
Tenant Rights Info Session
When: 6 p.m. Monday, Jan 27
Where: Northwest Branch, Dayton Metro Library, 2410 Philadelphia Drive
The first one is 6 p.m., Monday, January 27, at the Northwest Branch of the Dayton Metro library on 2410 Philadelphia Drive. Following sessions are:
Thursday, February 20 at the Vandalia Branch, 330 S. Dixie Drive.
Thursday, February 27 at the Trotwood Branch, 855 E. Main Street.
The goal is to educate renters on how to effectively manage a range of conflicts they may encounter with their landlord.
"How do I escrow or what does it mean to escrow? My landlord is not making repairs and what can I do about it? Who's responsible for what things in my home certain things that are in general designated for a landlord to repair they're placing them on the tenant in," Brown said, listing some of the common questions renters have. "Tenants don't know what recourse they have to address those issues. Another one is just the eviction process."
According to Brown, after meeting for about a year, Tenant Union members wanted to share their experiences and strategies with a larger audience. Thus, they have designed what people will learn, making these 90-minute sessions real to life.
"Much of the curriculum and the content has come from the experiences of tenants who have either walked through an eviction or some deplorable housing condition or been subject to being miseducated or uninformed about their housing rights," Brown said. "As a result, they have identified among themselves what is the information that people need to know."
Legal, financial and housing experts also will present during these sessions.
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