Why giant investment company rentals are being blamed for affordable housing issues in Jacksonville
A News4JAX I-TEAM analysis of Jacksonville property records found more than 9,600 homes across Duval County are owned by large, institutional investors, which are companies that have more than 1,000 homes nationwide in their portfolio.
Duval County residents can now apply for rental and utility assistance
Duval County residents who need help paying rent or utility bills can start applying to get assistance. This is a part of a program through the city of Jacksonville to help residents who lost income because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has more than 3-million dollars left.
I-TEAM: Breaking down increases in Jacksonville rents by ZIP code
The News4JAX I-TEAM continues to hear from people about rising rents throughout the Jacksonville metro area. So, we wanted to take a look at the ZIP codes with the highest rent increase over the past year, and the one ZIP code where the rent has actually decreased.
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Cities helping renters get right to lawyers in housing court
As the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic stretch into 2021, millions of U.S. renters are bracing for the possibility of having to show up in housing court to avoid getting evicted. Legal aid organizations and pro bono lawyers represent many renters every year, but the need outpaces what they can handle. While housing advocates have primarily pushed for rent relief from the government, experts also expect more cities to join the movement to give tenants the right to an attorney. But this month, Maryland’s largest city became the latest U.S. jurisdiction to grant renters a right to counsel in those cases. In 2017, New York became the first U.S. city to guarantee the right to an attorney in housing court.