[G]ov. Phil Scott signed into law last week a new measure that aims to shield victims of abuse from complications with housing, an initiative that advocates say will remove one of the “biggest barriers” to survivors’ healing.
H.132 will allow victims who rent homes more flexibility when terminating rental agreements. It also codifies their right to change locks and to add security features.
The new law mandates that landlords keep confidential the status of people who have experienced abuse, and stipulates that landlords cannot discriminate based on renters’ experience of domestic violence.
Kara Casey, the director of economic empowerment for the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said that nationwide, the Violence Against Women Act protects renters in federally subsidized housing. For Vermonters in other renting arrangements, however, the state had no protections for abuse victims prior to the current bill.
The Network helped to draft the language in the bill, and revisited a decade-old report that highlighted the importance of secure housing for victims of abuse. The 2009 study notes that there is an “undeniable” link between homelessness and domestic violence because abuse can directly lead to problems with housing.
“Nothing really ever came from that, so we felt like it was a great time to see if we could have some momentum on the findings of the study,” Casey said of the report.
Anti-domestic violence advocates statewide also said they support the bill — and that housing is of primary importance to the safety of abuse victims.
Foresta Castañeda, an advocate with the Addison County anti-domestic violence organization WomenSafe, recalled a time when a landlord would not allow an individual who had experienced abuse to change her lock.
“This was extremely invalidating to this survivor, as she did not feel supported or believed. She felt powerless that she had tried to seek safety from the stalking and re-gain some control over the situation, only to have the landlord derail her efforts,” Castañeda said.
The new law also has backing from advocates for landlords. Angela Zaikowski, the director of the Vermont Landlord Association, gave input on the legislation, including a clause that decreases landlords’ liability.
“I believe that with the immunity section, the Legislature has gone a long way helping to protect landlords with this statute,” she said.
Diane Kinney, an advocate with the Washington County organization Circle, also said that the ability to change locks is a crucial step for survivors.
“Say someone gets a relief from abuse order, and that includes having an abusive person removed from the house. If both names are on the lease, sometimes a landlord won’t let you change the locks without both people knowing about it. That’s really important,” Kinney said.
According to Kinney, all of the bill — but especially the right to a lock and the increased anonymity for survivors — represents a significant step forward for victims of domestic violence.
“It will make a difference, absolutely,” Kinney said. “It just heartens me.”
