L.A. Property Owners Association Wants to Prepare Landlords

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." -Benjamin Franklin

I am often put on the “hot seat” for advocating for rental housing providers (a/k/a, “landlords”). Since the beginning of the global pandemic, that hot seat has turned into ashes, and I am always searching for ways to educate and inform government officials, renters, and other members of the community so that the scales of fairness can be balanced. Unfortunately, there has never been any balance between housing regulations and those in the business of providing rental housing services. For this reason, I have made it a mission of sorts to invite journalists and thought leaders into our training and programs so that they can experience and then, hopefully, understand what the industry, and those who work in the housing industry, are learning and doing to improve.

The Hot Seat

A few weeks ago, I invited a journalist to one of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles's recent training courses that was held for property owners and members. The training class called AVERT for “Active Violence Emergency Response Training," is intended to educate and prepare participants for situations that, unfortunately, are all too common today – workplace shootings, violent behavior, and situations that, if not properly controlled, can easily turn deadly for or cause severe harm to innocent bystanders.

Journalist, Jack Ross (@m0thercity), was invited to take the course because he wanted to cover this growing trend of violence toward rental housing providers. I commend Mr. Ross’ article published this week for his attempts to portray the now pervasive issue encountered by the innocent almost daily when violence enters the workplace. It is a sad commentary to today's society that workplace violence and stories of the innocent being killed or severely injured have become so common that few take notice. Unfortunately, many innocent bystanders today are being harmed at increasing rates as society has become increasingly divisive.

Workplace Violence

68% of workers across the world do not feel safe at work (SHRM)

While workplace violence has become more and more common, and rental housing providers today are facing constant threats of actual violence, Journalist Jack Ross focused much of his article on evictions. Despite journalist Ross’ obvious bent towards renters and apparent belief (along with the belief of his many Twitter followers) that landlords deserve “it,” here are some points covered by his article:

• Violence is a part of the [rental housing] profession more than ever.
• Housing providers are exposed to violence from renters and the unhoused, which is a growing issue.
• Situations regularly faced by rental housing providers include threats of violence and property damage, as evidenced by one group of participants who foiled a mass shooting at a 22-story building and participants who must address a publicly intoxicated renter that threatened suicide.

Yet despite these and many other “real life” violent experiences inflicted almost daily on those of us who are in the business of providing housing, journalist Jack Ross ignores the fact that many innocent housing providers are getting hurt or narrowly escaping injury to espouse his apparent belief that any landlord who attempts to collect legally owed rent should receive the death penalty as a consequence.

Click here for the article from CAPITAL & MAIN

Originally Published on LinkedIn