HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-09-25 Public Comment - T. Andreas - Support Right to CounselFrom:Eva Killenberg
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Support Right to Counsel
Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 6:42:13 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
To the City Commission,
My name is Tyler Andreas. I am from Butte and have lived in Bozeman since 2012 to
attend MSU. I have lived in five different apartments across the city, some owned by
corporations and some by private landlords. It is extremely difficult to change housing and
find another apartment that is affordable — the search feels like a full time job. My rent has
consistently gone up in the time I’ve been here, while the pay has not. The salaries here
are not consistent with the cost of living. I pay more than half of my paycheck in rent. This
makes unexpected bills or accidents a constant financial worry. I had to get a second job to
be able to save for my wedding this September. I can’t get married in Bozeman because it
is too expensive. After the wedding, my fiance and I want to leave. We want to keep saving
to be able to move and find a new home and work elsewhere. There are multiple reasons
we have decided to leave, but part of it feels like we are being pushed out by the
unaffordability, and this gives us no desire to come back.
Although eviction is not a current threat for my partner and I, if it were to happen, we would
be set back significantly in our plans and face serious financial stress. Right to Counsel
would remove the looming doom that we could lose our house and have to change our
future plans. In today's times, everyone could use a little help. Right to Counsel is the right
thing to do, and a policy the people of Bozeman deserve.
Tyler Andreas
Trout Meadows Apartments