Edwards, Metts will hold press conference on ‘just cause’ bill regarding tenant eviction

STATE HOUSE – January 27, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Portsmouth, Tiverton) and Sen. Harold M. Metts (D-Dist. 6, Providence) will be holding a news conference to address tenants’ rights during the foreclosure process on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. in the rotunda of the State House.

Under existing law, tenants living in foreclosed homes have only 90 days before the foreclosing lender can evict them without cause. Representative Edwards and Senator Metts plan to file legislation that would prevent banks from evicting families until they sold the house to a new owner. Language in the new legislation requires that new owner would have to be a non-financial institution in order for an eviction of that nature to take place.

The list of speakers includes the primary sponsors of the legislation and Rep. Jeremiah T. O’Grady (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket). Members of the Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), an organization whose mission includes organizing low-income families in communities of color to pursue social justice, will be present to support the bill as in years past.

The primary sponsors of the legislation have submitted similar versions of this legislation for the past six years, saying the statutes need to be changed in order to keep more people off the streets and protect tenants’ most basic rights.

Despite recent declines in overall foreclosures, the statistics in Rhode Island are still shocking. According to Housing Works RI – a coalition of more than 140 organizations working toward ensuring quality, affordable homes for all Rhode Islanders – there were more than 9,600 foreclosures filed in this state between the first quarter of 2009 and the second quarter of 2013. Of those filings, more than 2,800 were multi-family foreclosures.

For more information, contact:
Brenna McCabe, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2457