NCJC litigators talk with NC Newsline about local organizing for housing rights

A recent NC Newsline report examines how Durham’s updated housing code is influencing tenant advocacy efforts across the state. The article includes insight from housing advocates and members of the NC Justice Center litigation team who have supported tenants’ advocacy efforts in Durham.

In North Carolina, landlords are generally required to make pairs to keep rental units safe and habitable. The Durham ordinance adds additional tenant protections by making it illegal for landlords to collect rents if they are not following the law.

“What the ordinance does is sort of restrict what the landlord who has been found in violation of the code can do, which is collect rent,” said Peter Gilbert, director of litigation at the N.C. Justice Center.

Read the full NC Newsline article here.

For additional context on the fight to win tenant protections in Durham, read the NC Justice Center’s feature on the student advocate who helped advance pro-tenant policy and elevate tenant voices in Durham.