Roswell, Ga. — U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee Chairman Jon Ossoff is continuing his investigation into the mistreatment of families by landlords — and threats to the safety of children in dangerous living conditions.
Today, Sen. Ossoff is convening a U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee Hearing in Roswell to receive testimony from renters and experts about the mistreatment of tenants by landlords in Georgia and nationwide and threats to the safety of children in dangerous living conditions.
“A home is more than a place to sleep — it must be a place of safety, and of security. But for too many Georgians, and for too many children in Georgia, home is instead a place of peril,” Sen. Ossoff said in his opening statement. “We’re here today because the mistreatment of Georgia families and children by landlords must stop.”
This fall, as Chairman of the Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, Sen. Ossoff launched inquiries with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) into alleged mistreatment of tenants by landlords in Georgia and nationwide.
Multiple investigations by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and news outlets across Georgia have documented widespread dangerous housing conditions, including mold, mice, and mistreatment of tenants.
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s opening statement.
Please find a transcript of Sen. Ossoff’s opening statement below:
SEN. OSSOFF: “The Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law will come to order.
“Before we begin this hearing, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge and express appreciation on behalf of the U.S. Senate and on behalf of the people of Georgia for our witnesses today, for the courage and determination that you demonstrate by speaking out in public on this important issue. Thank you so much for being here and thank you for lending your voice to the effort to stand up for families across Georgia and across the country.
“I’d also like to take a moment to thank Mayor Kurt Wilson and the City Council, the extraordinary staff here in Roswell City Hall, for their hospitality, for opening up this extraordinary civic space to the United States Senate today to hear directly from people impacted by the issues that we’re discussing today. Thank you, Mayor, for your hospitality.
“I would ask that all who are present at this U.S. Senate Subcommittee hearing remain respectful throughout our hearing so that witnesses have the opportunity to make their voices heard and to contribute to the record.
“I would also note for those of you who may be here in order to express or pursue your personal concerns regarding your housing situation or any other matter, that while today’s hearing testimony will be limited to those witnesses who are at the witness stand today, a member of my staff named Alexia Johnson is here. Alexia, would you please stand up so that everybody can identify you. Alexia is coming back. And we will make sure that she’s identified in just a moment, but a member of my team is here to meet with you, make sure we have your contact information, and follow up with you directly should you have concerns that we can pursue on your behalf.
“Now, here’s the background. Five months ago, as Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee, I launched an investigation into the mistreatment of families by landlords in Georgia and across the country.
“And in particular, on threats to the safety of children who dwell in dangerous living conditions.
“And what we found thus far is that too often landlords and large property owners and managers are securing and receiving massive Federal subsidies, while subjecting vulnerable families and children to dangerously unsafe and unsanitary living conditions.
“The Subcommittee has conducted site visits and interviewed nearly 100 tenants, landlords, maintenance staff, housing attorneys, and policy experts across Georgia and the nation. The staff has reviewed court records, resident complaints, housing inspection reports, and work orders, photo and video evidence, and extensive correspondence between tenants, landlords, and Federal housing officials.
“We’ve heard from families who live in apartments plagued by severe mold and pest infestations, who lacked basic plumbing, or whose floors were so rotten that they collapsed.
“We heard from a tenant whose child fell through a collapsed floor, and another whose child was bitten by a rat.
“We’ve interviewed tenants who described balconies falling off their buildings, fires, violent assaults and shootings, inadequate safety and security infrastructure, elevator outages that left elderly Americans trapped in their homes without access to food or medication, and children who became sick from mold and sewage exposure.
“Yet the Subcommittee heard time and time again that when many of these tenants asked their landlords for help, that help never came.
“And worse, they sometimes reported facing retaliation, or eviction.
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes a human right to an adequate standard of living including housing.
“A home is more than a place to sleep — it must be a place of safety, and of security.
“But for too many Georgians, and for too many children in Georgia, home is instead a place of peril.
“We’re here today because the mistreatment of Georgia families and children by landlords must stop.
“We’re talking about families living in dangerous apartments, many of whom are paying rent to live in the apartments that are to be the sanctuary for themselves and for their kids.
“And yet they face the risk of black mold, and rats, of sewage floods, and stray bullets. And meanwhile, the property owners and property managers who run these properties are collecting taxpayer dollars while failing to provide a decent standard of living.
“The Department of Housing and Urban Development has obligations and enforcement tools to hold accountable the thousands of landlords and private property owners and managers who receive many millions in taxpayer dollars every year across the country.
“Yet, we found that some properties passed their HUD inspections, even while residents are experiencing dangerous and unhealthy conditions.
“And it takes far too long to identify bad actors and to hold them accountable.
“So today we’ll hear from current and former residents at three different properties here in Georgia. The subcommittee was able to confirm that two of these properties passed multiple HUD inspections in the past four years, despite severe issues reported to the subcommittee.
“We will also hear from two expert attorneys who represent tenants facing alleged retaliation for reporting maintenance and security concerns.
“I want to emphasize that this is an active and ongoing inquiry of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights. Our Subcommittee will continue to investigate human rights violations in housing and elsewhere to protect families in Georgia and nationwide.”
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