HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-26-25 Public Comment - D. & A. Ayala - Public Comment in Support of Tenant Right to CounselFrom:David A
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment in Support of Tenant Right to Counsel
Date:Monday, November 24, 2025 11:41:04 PM
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City Commissioners,
As local landlords, we strongly support passing and fully funding Tenant Right to Counsel inBozeman.
For about a decade, my wife and I have owned a home near Peets Hill. Throughout this time,we have rented out rooms in our home, sharing our space with tenants. In the decade prior, we
ourselves were tenants, living with a mix of other renters and homeowners. The relationshipsformed across these two decades have been beautiful and life-changing. This lived experience
shapes how we understand housing—ideally, as a garden in which a healthy diversity ofgenerations and forms can negotiate and flourish, and lend support and fill niches. Tenant
Right to Counsel will help keep our community flourishing, intact, and humane.
Less idealistically, I also know how wholly disruptive and traumatic housing vulnerability can
be. My mom has had a full career as a nurse practitioner. When I was five years old, as asingle parent, she fulfilled a rotation at a clinic in rural Utah. There, a conflict with our
landlord resulted in us living in a tent for a few weeks. While I carry fond, albeit fragmented,memories of that phase (for example, coloring in a book while it rained outside the tent), I
now know about the profound stress my mom was under. Her professional goals required herto stay near the clinic, yet our housing options were unavailable because of what she believes
was a misunderstanding.
When tenants have legal representation, conversations become more civil, solutions more
realistic, and relationships more likely to survive conflict. With Right to Counsel, we givetenants a fair shot, reduce unnecessary displacement, and support a more resilient Bozeman—
one where landlords and tenants alike can navigate difficulty with dignity.
I urge the Commission to fully fund and enact a strong and comprehensive Right to Counsel
program.
Thank you for your consideration, and the work you do for our community.
David and Ana Ayala