This semester, the Housing Law Clinic hosted a “Ready to Rent” Know Your Rights presentation for the residents of the Safe Haven Family Shelter (Safe Haven). Safe Haven is a Nashville nonprofit organization that aids families facing homelessness. They provide temporary housing and education on securing permanent housing, career counseling, and trauma-informed programs for children. Once residents secure permanent housing, Safe Haven continues to provide the support and resources necessary to ensure that its families achieve self-sufficiency.
The Housing Law Clinic’s “Ready to Rent” presentation informed participants on their rights and responsibilities as tenants and the safe housing laws to which landlords must adhere. Student attorneys discussed key lease provisions, the basic principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Violence Against Women Act, habitability law in Tennessee, and the eviction process in Davidson County. After the presentation, student attorneys fielded questions from Safe Haven residents.
“I really enjoyed the experience, and it was helpful to hear from Safe Haven residents,” said Blaine Sanders, JD ’23. “We were able to explain unfamiliar concepts to residents in a manner that we hope was beneficial.”
Safe Haven staff felt similarly. “The students presented such valuable content to our families so that they would be armed with the knowledge of their rights as a tenant, responsibilities of landlords, legal terms in leases that can feel overwhelming and confusing,” said Brittney Brown, Housing Director at Safe Haven. “We look forward to continuing to host this class every semester to ensure our clients are successful in housing.”
