Now, Stevens wants to make the service available free to low-income renters living in unsafe housing conditions through a newly launched GoFundMe campaign. The money raised will cover complaint submissions for those who can’t afford his fee.
“When I saw Pebble Creek, I realized these are the people with the least ability to complain about their landlord,” he said. “If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, $150 is a lot of money. And the last thing you want to do is put your name on a complaint against the person who controls whether you have a place to live.”
The effort is aimed at residents dealing with housing conditions, not neighbor disputes or general complaints about commercial properties, Stevens added.
It will help subsidize complaints from tenants facing serious housing issues, such as deteriorating stairwells, mold, faulty plumbing, or other health and safety concerns.
“I’m not raising money so you can file a complaint against your neighbor because you don’t like their yard,” he said. “This is really about housing.”