"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
If there is anything that can instantly make me mad, it is to drive past a house that I see that is completely unfit to be lived in, and SOMEONE is collecting rent for it.
My wife and I delivered something to a needy family tonight that our church bought for them. I am so grateful that my wife was able to be the bridge between this family and our church. She did not give up until she saw a need of theirs met....and I love that she did this. However, tonight when we delivered this to the family I got the see their living conditions. I do not look down on this family for their conditions....I want to do more for them. But what does make me upset, is the fact that they are renting the house that they are in. That means that someone is collecting money for a house that well quite frankly can barely be called a house. I see so many government agencies get created all the time that I think are ridiculous and unnecessary. But here is an idea for one I would fully support.
I wish that each county was aloud to employ "x" amount of people (based on their population), and the jobs of these people would be to get a list of every rental address in the county. Together these folks would personally visit each address to inspect the condition of the rental property. If the property did not meet a standard set of conditions...like all windows are intact, there is adequate heat for the home, there is proper restroom and bathing facilities (inside the home!!), and the home can be made secure at night....(just to list a few)....then the agency would tell the landlord that they are not aloud to collect another dollar in rent until these things are taken care of. If the landlord does not want to act quickly and make things right, then the family living there should be aloud to take their rent money and apply it toward getting these things fixed. For each month they do not pay the landlord rent (because the agency has decided this....not the tenant) then the tenant would be aloud to use the rent money to make repairs or purchase what is needed for the home and could turn in the receipts to the agency for the amount of the rent. If the tenant had to take care of the repairs themselves, then the landlord would ALSO be fined for the cost of the repairs.
I know this may sound a bit harsh, but I will also say that before I ever owned my first home I rented from some good (and a few bad) landlords. So I know, and appreciate, the difference. If you do not want to take care of the family that is providing rent to you, then do not get into the business. It is rare that you find a landlord that has the mentality that by renting a home they are actually HELPING someone who can't buy a home. So ACTUALLY help them and do not rent houses that could never be considered a home to someone.
Please understand that I know there are bad renters out there too. Renters that tear up nice property... and I believe there needs to be justice for those folks as well. But that is not what I am writing about tonight. Jesus said we are to help the poor, needy, less fortunate, widows, orphans and feed the hungry. As this time of the year rolls around where people who don't have; go hungry and cold, please consider helping them out. Even if you can't give because you don't have a lot yourself, please make sure you get that family's name to someone who can. God will bless you for your acts of kindness when they are done out of the goodness of your heart and love for your fellow brother and sister.
To those who know you are renting homes that are in less than livable conditions, please think about what you are doing and make things right. I wouldn't want you to be the one that stands before God some day knowing you took advantage of a single parent trying to raise their kids on minimum wage, and I let them live in a home not fit for an animal to stay in!
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