HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-13-25 Public Comment - Z. Osman - Support Tenants' Right to Legal CounselFrom:Zehra Osman
To:Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison; Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode; Chuck Winn; Greg Sullivan;Anna Saverud
Cc:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]PUBLIC COMMENT: Support Tenants" Right to Legal Counsel
Date:Sunday, May 11, 2025 5:19:20 PM
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(Please post this to the public record as part of the City Commission Right to Counsel work session scheduled for
05/13/2025.)
Honorable Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Commissioners, City Manager, City Attorney, and City Staff,
I am writing to urge you to support a Tenant’s Right to Legal Counsel (TRC). Below, I enumerate reasons why thecity should fund this program and I also enumerate how/where we can find existing money in the City’s existingbudget to fund this program.
Though the City Attorney’s Office memorandum poses many questions about the scope of TRC, other governmentsdo not see it as an onerous program. More and more cities and states are enacting it. Even Montana State University(MSU) has it!
the TRC has not (yet) been preempted by the state of Montana
MSU has the program (ASMSU Legal Services) and their attorney, Charles Cromwell, has stated it
is very successful and often helps avoid the courtroom.
19 cities, 5 states, and 1 county have now enacted TRC, which has not only helped tenants and
landlords resolve issues, it has saved money for the government.
According to the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, for every $1 spent on TRC, $3 - $4
is saved by the government entity
https://civilrighttocounsel.org/resources/organizing_around_right_to_counsel/ So, For a budget of
$314,000 for a Tenant’s Right to Legal Counsel, the City of Bozeman can save $942,000 -
$1,256,000 spent on police, staff, jails, prosecution, shelter, mental health, infrastructure, etc.
TRC allows a tenant to have legal representation. It helps move towards equality of power in the
courtrooms where evictions are decided. It does not bend the law towards the tenant, it just makes
the process fair.
It encourages professional, civil, legal, and fair behavior on behalf of all parties including those who
are new landlords, those who are considering becoming landlords, and corporate landlords.
If landlords follow the law, they should have nothing to worry about
It allows a legal and civil way to keep our neighbors off the street and in their homes
Within the past 20+ years, Bozeman (like cities around the world) has opened the floodgates to allow investors to
build their/their shareholders’ wealth on Bozeman’s real estate; land and housing have become commodities and an
asset class. People who have never set foot here here in Bozeman either own or invest in properties. This includes
private equity and corporations. You can trade real estate on the market and make money even if the property is
vacant - so it doesn’t matter to investors whether tenants are evicted or not. As if it wasn’t bad enough that we’re
seeing the loss of open space, trees, and historic buildings, we’re also experiencing the loss of friends and family
due to the lack of affordable housing. Our neighbors are experiencing the violent act of eviction. What is replacing
all that is being lost? These fundamental human needs are being replaced by unaffordable housing/real estate.
I understand the City would need to find $314,000 to fund the Tenant Right to Legal Counsel program, which may
be at the expense of something else in the City budget. I am admittedly very unfamiliar with aspects of the budget
and what some budget items are all about. However, I have questions about some of these items and if all/some of
their budget can instead be used for a TRC program. Back in 2019, I attended many meetings regarding the
Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan (DBIP). I reviewed/commented on multiple draft and final plans authoredby the Downtown Bozeman Partnership (DBP). I recall wondering why the City of Bozeman was spending moneyon a plan to improve what appeared to be a private business organization that represented thriving downtowncommercial ventures. Does the city do this for all businesses? Who is this entity called the Downtown BozemanPartnership and why is the City funding their DBIP and prioritizing/funding its goals?
When I look at the City’s current budgethttps://www.bozeman.net/home/showpublisheddocument/14358/638531127935430000, I don’t understand the
money being spent on the following items:
Economic Development
Urban Renewal District Funds
Downtown Business Improvement District Fund
Downtown Improvement District
Downtown URD
Is there a/some budget item(s) within these funds listed above that can instead be used to fund a Tenants Right to
Legal Counsel? Why is the City paying for these items? What are the consequences to moving money from the
Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan to instead help our neighbors who are tenants?
Perhaps I’m way off on suggesting we fund the TRC by utilizing funds budgeted for the items enumerated above.
However, I believe we Bozemanites have already spent enough money and sacrificed enough trees and historic
buildings helping developers, investors, shareholders and corporate entities.
We can certainly find $314,000 to fund a Tenant’s Right to Legal Counsel program and save $942,000 -
$1,256,000; which is saving $3-$4 on every $1 spent on this important program. Please see creative funding
strategies used by other cities at the National Coalition for Civil Right to Counsel website https://civilrighttocounsel.org/resources/organizing_around_right_to_counsel/#impactdata
As a homeowner, retired senior, and long-time Bozeman resident, I WOULD BE MORE
THAN HAPPY FOR MY TAX DOLLARS TO BE SPENT ON A PROGRAM FORTENANTS’ RIGHT TO COUNSEL!
Respectfully,
Zehra Osman312 Sanders Ave59718