HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-10-25 Public Comment - Z. Osman - Fund Tenants' Right to Legal CounselFrom:Zehra Osman
To:Anna Saverud; Greg Sullivan; Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison; Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode;Chuck Winn; Mike Maas
Cc:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]PUBLIC COMMENT: Fund Tenants" Right to Legal Counsel
Date:Monday, June 9, 2025 2:12:56 PM
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(Please post this to the public record as part of the Right to Counsel topic)
Honorable Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Commissioners, City Manager, City Attorney’s Office,
City Clerk, and City Staff,
Below are some reasons why the City should fund a tenant’s right to legal counsel programand at the end of this letter are some questions about why we are instead funding the
Downtown Business Partnership priorities when we could instead use that money for ourtenant’s right to legal counsel program instead.
As a homeowner, a retired senior, and as a human being with a heart, I strongly andwhole-heartedly urge you to support and fund a Tenant’s Right to Legal Counsel (TRC).Here’s why:
The TRC has not yet been preempted by the state of MontanaOther city and state governments do not see this as an onerous program, in fact 19
cities, 5 states, and 1 county have now enacted TRC, which has not only helpedtenants and landlords resolve issues, it has saved money for the government.
MSU has the program (ASMSU Legal Services) and their attorney, CharlesCromwell, has stated it is very successful and often helps avoid the courtroom.
According to the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, for every $1spent 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 equalityof 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 becominglandlords, and corporate landlords.If landlords follow the law, they should have nothing to worry aboutIt allows a legal and civil way to keep our neighbors off the street and in their
homes
Our neighbors are experiencing the violent act of eviction. Not only can eviction leave youhomeless, once eviction proceedings begin and you have that “E” on your record, property
management companies will have access to those records and will deny future housing
opportunities.
Investors have built their shareholders’ wealth on Bozeman’s real estate; land and housinghave become commodities and an asset class. People who have never set foot here in Bozeman
either own or invest in properties through entities such as private equity and Real EstateInvestment Trusts. You can trade real estate that is packaged as a commodity on themarket and make money even if the property is vacant - so it doesn’t matter to investorswhether tenants are evicted or not because it doesn’t matter if units are vacant or not. As if it
wasn’t bad enough that we’re seeing the loss of open space, trees, and historic buildings, we’realso experiencing the loss of friends and family due to the lack of affordable housing. When
our community can no longer live here, our business can no longer staff themselves. So, weare already paying for the price of eviction.
How Should We Pay for a Tenants’ Right to Legal Counsel?
I understand the City would need to find approximately $314,000 to fund the Tenant Right toLegal Counsel program, which may come 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 allabout. That said, I have questions about some budget items that seem to benefit the Downtown
Business Partnership and wonder if some of that budget can instead be used for a TRCprogram. Let me explain:
The agenda for the June 3, 2025 City Commission meeting included a change order for a
contract related to the “Alley Improvement Project” that enhanced the aesthetics of downtownalleys. The contract was for $354,077.88. Instead of having the City (taxpayers) pay for this,
consider having the more well-off entities of the Downtown Business Partnership (such as thehotels) fund this as it will benefit them the most. There you go, we’ve found $314,000 to pay
for the Tenants’ Right to Counsel for its first year. Whether or not you think my idea is ill-advised, you have to admit we recently spent $354K on sprucing up alleyways around investor
properties without hesitation when we have other more pressing needs.
But let’s talk more about the Downtown Business Partnership. Back in 2019, I attended manymeetings regarding the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan (DBIP). I
reviewed/commented on multiple draft and final plans authored by the Downtown BozemanPartnership (DBP). I recall wondering why the City of Bozeman was spending money on a
plan to improve what appeared to be a private business organization that represented thrivingdowntown commercial ventures. Does the city do this for all businesses? Who is this entity
called the Downtown Bozeman Partnership and why is the City funding their DBIP andprioritizing/funding its goals?
When I look at the City’s current budget https://www.bozeman.net/home/
showpublisheddocument/14358/638531127935430000, I don’t understand the money beingspent on the following items:
Economic DevelopmentUrban Renewal District Funds
Downtown Business Improvement District FundDowntown Improvement District
Downtown URD
Why is the City paying for these items? Are there some budget items within the funds listedabove that can instead be used to fund a Tenants Right to Legal Counsel? What are the
consequences to moving money from the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan to insteadhelp 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 andsacrificed 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 CivilRight 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 MORETHAN HAPPY FOR MY TAX DOLLARS TO BE SPENT ON A PROGRAM FOR
TENANTS’ RIGHT TO COUNSEL!
Respectfully,
Zehra Osman312 Sanders Ave
59718