To: The Tennessee State House, The Tennessee State Senate, and Governor Bill Lee
Make Equal Housing Opportunity TRULY equal
I think that when trying to rent a home or apartment, that it should not be entirely based on credit. Other factors should also go into determining rental eligibility than just declining based on credit risk.
Why is this important?
I am a 29 year old male and I live in the state of Tennessee, county of Davidson, city of Nashville. My roommate and I have recently started looking for a bigger apartment recently and even applied for an apartment that fit our financial needs and space. Later that day, we received noticed that we were denied due to "credit risk". I make over 3 times the base rent alone and with my roommate, we both make over 4 times the base rent. I may not have perfect credit (low 500s due to student loans), but I am still a person that is trying to make a living and have a decent home, just like everyone else. I have never been arrested, never been to jail, never been evicted, and I don't owe any properties any money. I know plenty of people that this has affected and they are also having a hard time finding a place to live. A person's credit should not be the only determining factor on if a person is eligible to rent a property. The management should look at other factors as well such as employment, previous history (as long as there are no evictions and payments are made, regardless if it is late), income, and criminal background. Make rental properties TRULY equal so that hard working Americans like myself can get the housing that they deserve.