Pittsburgh councilmembers introduce legislation to protect domestic violence survivors

PITTSBURGH — This month, Pittsburgh City Council members presented new legislation intended to strengthen the legal rights and housing protections of tenants who rent who are survivors of domestic violence.

Councilperson Erika Strassburger introduced the legislation with fellow council member Bobby Wilson, who called this a step in the right direction to protect all renters in the city and communities as a whole.

“We had strong protections on housing on the books already, and this really just bolsters it,” Strassburger said.

The proposed legislation includes a victim being able to get out of a lease without financial penalty if he or she can show evidence of domestic violence. That evidence does not necessarily have to be a police report but could be proof that the survivor utilized a shelter or another agency that helps victims of domestic violence.

“Fair housing is about choice, and the concept of being a victim of domestic violence is being trapped by a lack of choice,” said Megan Hammond, executive director of the Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh. “so, we’re not making a decision between, ‘Can I weather an $8,000 bill if I leave this lease?’ or ‘Am I going to continue to put myself and likely my children under physical and emotional abuse as we wait out this contract?’”

Another requirement: landlords must change the locks within five days for a tenant who is a victim if they request it. The resident-perpetrator can’t get back inside of the home unless a judge decides they can return. Finally, the legislation provides new definitions, in addition to what is already in city code, for clarity purposes. They include “inciting incident,” “family or household members,” “responsible party,” and “landlord.”

“Having a stable place to live and being able earn an income –those are the two biggest factors to making sure that someone successfully leaves an abusive relationship and is able to rebuild their life,” Strassburger said.

The amendment will be discussed in standing committee and could be passed by the end of the month.

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