HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-25 Public Comment - J. McCracken - Bozeman Right to CounselFrom:Jon McCracken
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Bozeman Right to Counsel
Date:Sunday, November 30, 2025 4:53:30 PM
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Dear Bozeman City Commission,
I'm a member of Bozeman Tenants United, a software engineer, a husband, and a father. I've
lived in Bozeman for twenty four years.
Although I'm a homeowner now, I rented in Bozeman for seventeen years. And although I'venever been evicted, it was the first subject raised by my first apartment manager after I signed
my lease. "We prosecute all evictions in court. No exceptions."
With that hanging over me, I spent my time worrying about standing out, complaining toomuch, or being seen as a problem. The few building-wide issues I reported were ignored.
When my boss threatened my job, I was most concerned about my home. After all, no matterthe season, there was a steady stream of evictions in the complex.
I remember one woman in particular, in the dead of winter, sobbing into her phone as workers
moved her home into the icy courtyard. I remember families grimly carrying boxes to amoving truck, or solitary men piling the back of their cars up with their few possessions. There
was no recourse. No dignity. No thought of fighting back, or even negotiating their exit ontheir terms.
Meanwhile the sidewalks were perpetually icy; I fell several times, one of which permanently
injured my back. The sprinkler system flooded the courtyard, the power cut out several times ayear because of ancient wiring, and none of the proceeds from the coin-operated laundry
actually went toward maintaining the machines. The evictions continued, but the sparsemaintenance calls I made to management received increasingly hostile responses.
I believe housing is a human right. I believe that tenants deserve equal representation when
faced with eviction. I believe that a community with dignified, stable housing is healthier,happier, and more productive.
We are so close. I urge you to pass a strong Right to Council ordinance to keep tenants in their
homes.
Jon McCrackenBozeman Resident