Organizing for a Fair Rent Commission in East Lyme

Goal

When Windward Village, a local apartment complex in the village of Niantic in East Lyme, CT, was purchased by developers in June of 2024, residents were shocked to discover that the company was increasing rents by $600-$800 a month—a 60% increase in some cases. Two-thirds of the tenants in the complex were either elderly or living with disabilities who rely on fixed incomes, meaning a significant rent increase could threaten their ability to find stable housing in an expensive community. The Center for Housing Equity and Opportunity Eastern Connecticut (CHEO) set out to raise awareness and encourage state and local officials to help establish a Fair Rent Commission in East Lyme in an effort to preserve housing affordability and protect the community from unfair rent hikes such as those the tenants at Windward Village faced.

Approach

As the rent increases were set to be put in place by the end of the month, CHEO acted fast. On July 31st, 2024, led by CHEO Director Beth Sabilia, the organization gathered housing advocates — includingTrina Charles, Executive Director of Step Up New London, Chris Carlson, Attorney at CT Legal Services, and Cathy Zall, Executive Director of the New London Homeless Hospitality Center — alongside local tenants of the Windward Village Apartment Complex, in a rally for sensible housing legislation. These advocates spoke to the need for fair and reasonable housing legislation and regulation that protects vulnerable renters  and helps create an equitable playing field for Eastern Connecticut’s housing market. The rally attracted more than 70 people as well as local media coverage from WFSB, WCCT-TV CW, FOX 61, The Day, CT Public, CT Mirror, and the CT Examiner.

Alongside this news conference, CHEO helped residents draft a joint letter to state lawmakers demanding action at both the local and state level. Ahead of the East Lyme Board of Selectmen meeting on August 7, 2024 where a Fair Rent Commission would be considered, CHEO teamed up with CT Legal Services to offer the tenants tips about public testimony and meeting etiquette, and an overview of what to expect. 

The combined efforts of the news conference, local petitioning, and general advocacy from the tenants was so effective that in less than two months, East Lyme’s Board of Selectmen voted to create a Fair Rent Commission to oversee rent hikes and ensure that future rent changes are reasonable and made with just cause. While every city in Connecticut with a population greater than 25,000 has a Fair Rent Commission, the commissions are uncommon in small communities like East Lyme. When other small communities in eastern Connecticut and across the state face challenges similar to the Windward Village tenants, the collaboration between residents, CHEO, and other housing advocates in East Lyme can offer a model for protecting tenants and preserving affordability.