Councilmembers Cohen, Torrence, and Coalition of Renters Decry Uninhabitable Living Conditions in Apartment Complexes
Cohen will Introduce Legislation Monday to Strengthen Accountability For Bad-Actor Landlords
Contact:
Zeke.Cohen@BaltimoreCity.gov
410-396-4821
BALTIMORE, MD (February 27, 2023)
On Monday at 2pm, Councilmembers Zeke Cohen (District 1) and James Torrence (District 7) will stand with a coalition of renters demanding strengthened accountability for the City’s most frequently cited and hazardous multi-family dwellings.
The press conference comes ahead of Monday’s City Council hearing, where Councilmember Cohen will introduce the Strengthening Renters’ Safety Act. The bill will mandate increased enforcement on a small number of buildings with repeated code violations. Tenants will have the opportunity to anonymously request their apartment for inclusion in priority inspections.
The press conference will highlight renters from three large—predominantly senior—housing complexes in Reservoir Hill. Tenants have decried widespread mold, rodent and cockroach infestations, broken elevators, and poor security of the buildings, among other concerns. These properties could fall into the category of a “Priority Dwelling” in Cohen’s bill which would require increased inspections, and if conditions do not improve, they could lose their license.
“In District 1 and across Baltimore City, neglect from a handful of slumlords leaves some of our most vulnerable neighbors unsafe in their own homes,” says Councilmember Cohen. “This bill creates an accountability structure to ensure those buildings are being maintained, and ensures that our Department of Housing and Community Development is held accountable for oversight.”
###
Who: Councilmember Zeke Cohen, Councilmember James Torrence, Tenants, and Tenant
Advocates
Where: 2525 Eutaw Pl
When: 2pm, Monday, February 27, 2023
What: Announcing the introduction of the Strengthening Renters’ Safety Act
