Take action to support rental inspections

We are asking for your help with a critical piece of legislation. LB85, a bill introduced by Sen. Wayne of Omaha, would provide for a rental housing inspection program for a city of the metropolitan class or a city of the primary class. LB85 was voted out of the Urban Affairs Committee last week and is scheduled to be debated on the full floor as early as this Wednesday, February 6.

Please take a few moments to reach out to your senator to ask them to support LB85. Find your senator’s contact information here.

Below are some of the reasons we support LB85. Please personalize your experience when you speak with your senator’s office.

• LB85 would help ensure the safety and adequate maintenance of rental properties, allowing more families to experience security and stability in their homes.
• There is a real financial cost directly tied to unsafe, unhealthy housing—not only for the families living in it, but for the community as a whole.
• Unsafe and unaffordable housing undermines the strength and stability of our communities. It contributes to the cycle of poverty, exacerbates chronic health conditions, inhibits child development, deteriorates neighborhoods, and creates needless challenges for our neighbors as they work to build independence and opportunity for their families.
• A rental property registration system and inspection law would go a long way toward alleviating physical, mental and financial hardships that are harming our neighbors and undermining the strength of our communities.
• We urge you to support LB85 to help ensure substandard rental housing conditions do not persist in our communities.

Our staff and volunteers have seen the unsafe, unhealthy conditions that low-income renters are forced to call home far too often. We have been in Yale Park Apartments and other squalid and inadequately maintained rentals during home visits that were made as part of our application process. Our team has seen these problem properties first hand for years, which is why we work with such urgency to provide quality, affordable housing for our neighbors.

We have diligently reported code violations to the city planning department. And we have helped families to know their rights as they worked to extricate themselves from slumlords and their properties, and move into Habitat Omaha homes or other safe, quality housing. But we can and must do more. LB85 is part of the solution. If you’re interested, you can read the bill and amendments here.

In partnership with coalitions, communities of faith, neighborhood associations, elected officials and the private sector, we can create more safe and affordable housing opportunities for everyone. LB85 would be a huge step to get us there.

Please take a few minutes today to call your state senator to ask them to SUPPORT LB85.

Thank you for speaking up for a stronger community!
The Habitat Omaha Team