On the campaign trail: What will Nashville mayoral candidates do to protect renters?

The gloves are off, and Jim Gingrich is out.

Gingrich announced the suspension of his mayoral campaign Monday after spending nearly $2 million in the race.

"After speaking to Nashvillians across the city, I can say with confidence that the conversation has been started," he wrote in a statement announcing his decision and thanking supporters. "Nashvillians are hungry for a bold, courageous leader who will choose people over politics every single day."

Gingrich's announcement came two days after he and other mayoral candidates delved into housing, eviction and homelessness in a Saturday forum peppered with barbs and vocal responses from an engaged audience.

The "Housing for All" forum, hosted by Open Table Nashville and Renters Union Nashville, fell one day into early voting for the fast-approaching Aug. 3 election. The added pressure showed — it was the spiciest forum to date.

'Housing for All'

All candidates participating in the forum said they would commit to continuing funding for the Right to Counsel initiative that currently uses American Rescue Plan dollars to provide a free attorney to some people experiencing eviction. Funding for that program is slated to end in June 2024.

Alice Rolli, Fran Bush, Stephanie Johnson and Bernie Cox did not attend.

Given that 47% of Davidson County residents are renters, what would candidates do to strengthen and uphold tenants' rights in a state that has long favored property owners? What would they do to stop evictions?

Vivian Wilhoite said she would increase the number of Metro Codes inspectors to ensure slumlords are identified and held accountable. She would also work with Judge Rachel Bell to continue diversion programs for renters facing eviction and support the work of the Middle Tennessee Legal Aid Society.

Metro must also set an example by paying its employees competitively, she added. Wilhoite said ultimately, two parties are involved in eviction: the person being evicted and the property owner, who may not own dozens of units.

"Both need representation, but more so … for someone you're about to put out in the street," she said.

Jeff Yarbro said he would start by holding landlords who do not maintain adequate living conditions publicly accountable because it's unlikely the state legislature will change state laws in favor of tenants. He would also work to increase access to legal representation in General Sessions Civil Court and partner with the Bar Association to secure more pro-bono representation.

Metro should also coordinate better with nonprofits focused on addressing root causes and keeping people in homes, Yarbro said. He'd also work with landlords proactively to educate on the dangers of eviction and what resources are available to help tenants resolve issues.

Natisha Brooks said she would work with attorneys to devote volunteer service to tenants in need of representation. She also proposed scoring landlords on "how they keep their housing": "Just like they grade restaurants … we need to start doing that with landlords."

Mental illness undergirds issues that can lead to eviction, and she would work to ensure access to mental health clinics, she said. "As far as evictions, let's be proactive in understanding why they are behind on their rent," Brooks said, adding that the most important elections are judicial elections.

Matt Wiltshire spoke of the "fundamental power imbalance" and expertise imbalance between an individual facing eviction and large corporations that may own hundreds of housing units.

He would work with the Legal Aid Society to increase education and the Bar Association to increase pro-bono services for people facing eviction, "because the best way to keep people in housing is to keep them from getting evicted in the first place."

He would also work with the Financial Empowerment Center to give people at risk of eviction due to financial hardship opportunities to improve their situation.

Sharon Hurt said she would create an Office of Accountability, Efficiency and Empowerment to ensure existing laws are followed, and ensure Metro Codes regularly inspects rental properties. She would also continue to support the Legal Aid Society, housing court, and the efforts of the Metro Action Commission and Metro Social Services. She also plans to work with landlords who provide affordable housing — including small landlords — to provide tax relief and incentives.

"It's really kind of funny, because Metro Social Services and the Metro Action Center serve Black and brown communities the most, and they have the worst buildings … that shows you how our government and our leadership respects the Black and brown communities," Hurt added.

Freddie O'Connell said mass displacement events in Nashville haven't been uncommon between tornadoes, the Christmas bombing, apartment fires and flooding. Metro doesn't have a streamlined way to help people — especially renters — who have been suddenly displaced, he said, and he would establish displacement navigation coordination to fill that gap. Metro should also be the first to help property owners understand their rights and options before predatory buyers attempt to capitalize on disaster, he said.

O'Connell said housing advocates have shown him there are ways in which right to counsel in eviction proceedings isn't enough. He wants to increase transparency by working with the courts to record eviction proceedings on video so people can see how the process works.

The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency is one of Davidson County's biggest evictors, and O'Connell would establish an eviction review process coordinated through Metro's housing division. He said the zero tolerance policy for simple possession charges should be stopped. "We ought to be setting the standard with our public housing authority … so we are not kicking people out of homes for whom that is the housing of last resort," he said.

Heidi Campbell said she views the mayor's office as a "venture catalyst" connecting opportunities. She supports the work of right to counsel programs, the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center, Metro Action Commission and collective bargaining groups like Worker's Dignity. "It's not my job to mansplain to people how this needs to happen, it's my job to advocate for the people who are already doing the hard work," Campbell said.

Campbell said she worked to inform Nashvillians of the federal rent assistance available to them during the pandemic. She's met with Gov. Bill Lee to ask for support for Nashville General Hospital.

"A lot of people in Nashville are just one paycheck away from being unhoused, and a lot of that is about health, and a lot of that is about mental health, and we are about to lose our public hospital. I support, unlike some other candidates here, a new Nashville General Hospital."

(Metro's lease of Nashville General Hospital's current building from Meharry Medical College ends in 2027. Other mayoral candidates have indicated they support or are willing to consider constructing a new hospital, including Hurt and Yarbro.)

Candidate confrontations

• Gingrich took a swing at Wiltshire for taking credit for a property tax abatement program now used through MDHA to incentivize affordable housing. Wiltshire was quick to respond: "You may not know because you were living in New York at the time, but I literally wrote that policy. I literally worked with MDHA to address the issue that low income housing tax credit properties were being double-taxed by the state." Gingrich replied that he didn't say Wiltshire wasn't involved in crafting the policy.

• "We need a mayor that does not see this as something to sit around and talk about the wonky data things, but to actually see this as a fundraising job … I have always worked hard to raise the funds and to advocate for things that matter," Campbell said of funding the Barnes Housing Trust Fund, a barb at O'Connell, who spoke before her. "I would say … it's really important not to lower the expectations for the job of what a mayor is," O'Connell replied. "It's important to have a mayor who knows how to use the tools of Metro."

• Brooks said she wants an audit of where the money went following Nashville's property tax hike in 2020. "Anybody who says our property taxes were not increased, I'd like rebates, because something I got in the mail says differently." Wilhoite, Davidson County's property assessor, countered that following the reappraisal process, Nashville is now under the third-lowest tax rate in Davidson County history.

• Hurt said "North Nashville, District 19," is "the most gentrified," and called O'Connell "the most gentrified overseer" after O'Connell spoke of putting systems in place to prevent displacement after disasters. O'Connell said most of the places built were constructed on vacant lots and rezoned properties. When later asked if she had voted against any of O'Connell's rezoning bills, Hurt said she probably did not due to "councilmanic courtesy," but the "district is being gentrified and the demographics have changed."

Fresh ads served just in time for Early Voting

New ads dropped on the first day of early voting.

Freddie O'Connell's spot focused on community, affordable housing, walkable sidewalks and working transit. He reminds viewers that he voted against the Titans Stadium deal before catching a football from his daughter.

"It's time to build a Nashville for Nashvillians again," he says. "And when I'm mayor, we will."

Jeff Yarbro's latest ad kicks off with upbeat music and a montage of determined-looking workers.

"Nashville's never been a place for naysayers or quitters, and we're sure as heck not going to start now," he says.

Yarbro talks about his state Senate efforts to protect abortion rights and pass stricter gun safety laws, pledging to "always defend the city we love from politicians who hate," and work to make Nashville safer and more affordable.

What you need to know about early voting

Early voting will continue through July 29.

In the first three days of open polls, 8,699 people cast their ballots — a sizeable three-day early turnout but less than 3% of the 413,981 regular, active voters on Davidson County's rolls.

All early voting locations are open for the duration of early voting for the Aug. 3 election. A list of hours and locations is available at www.nashville.gov/departments/elections.

Nashville voter guide 2023: Our hub for mayoral, Council election coverage

Dates to know for 2023 election

• July 14-29: Early voting

• July 27: Last day to request an absentee ballot

• Aug. 3: General election day

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mayoral candidates weigh in on renters' rights, eviction