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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: December 2, 2013 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-a <br /> SUBJECT: Declaration of Tenants' Rights and Obligations <br /> DEPARTMENT: Housing/Human Rights and PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> Community Development <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Orange County Declaration of Tenants' Tara L. Fikes, (919) 245-2490 <br /> Rights and Obligations Joseph Polich, HRC Member <br /> Tish Galu, Justice United <br /> PURPOSE: To consider endorsement of the Declaration of Tenants' Rights and Obligations <br /> drafted by the Human Relations Commission, Orange County Justice United, <br /> EmPOWERment, and the UNC School of Law's Legal Assistance Clinic. <br /> BACKGROUND: In 2012, tenants of rental property in Carrboro experienced unfair and <br /> disparate treatment by their landlord and the surrounding community of homeowners and <br /> expressed their concerns to Justice United. Many of these issues were addressed and <br /> corrected through a collaborative effort between Justice United, the UNC Civil Legal <br /> Assistance Clinic, Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton and members of Justice United. <br /> Concurrently, the Orange County Human Relations Commission (HRC) was apprised of this <br /> matter. <br /> Shortly thereafter, in an effort to address unfair treatment and to empower tenants of rental <br /> property, the HRC formed a subcommittee to work with Justice United's Affordable Housing <br /> Team to draft a document of tenants' rights. EmPOWERment, Inc. and the UNC School of <br /> Law Legal Assistance Clinic (Law Clinic) were also key players in drafting this document. The <br /> organizations developed a list of issues that were most prevalent among renters. The <br /> students from the Law Clinic then drafted a list of laws from the N.C. General Statutes that <br /> addressed each issue. The document was entitled the "Orange County Tenants' Bill of <br /> Rights". <br /> In the spring of 2013, Justice United hosted three (3) bilingual fair housing workshops for <br /> tenants of rental property in the County. Presenters included Dr. Erika Wilson, Professor from <br /> the UNC Law Clinic, Mr. James Davis, Civil Rights Specialist from Orange County Department <br /> of Housing, Human Rights and Community Development, Delores Bailey from <br /> EmPOWERment, Inc., and Tish Galu from Justice United. Tenants provided feedback and <br /> shared stories of unfair treatment they experienced. The Tenants' Bill of Rights was <br /> thereafter amended to address these issues, and the document was re-named the <br /> Declaration of Tenants' Rights and Obligations. This document is not a legal document, but <br />