What kinds of developments may cause your campaign to accelerate or decelerate?

• Preemption: Some states have passed laws precluding local governments from passing laws on certain subjects. For housing, this has sometimes involved preempting the entire landlord/tenant field (although this does not necessarily preempt tenant right to counsel), while at other times it is aimed just at certain housing policies, like rent control or just cause protections. However, even where there is no state law preempting right to counsel, the mere fear of preemption has made some local governments hesitate to act.

• Elections: Elections can bring newly sympathetic lawmakers into power or sweep them out. Be mindful of the multiple stages of support you may need, such as Council / Mayor (at the local level) or State Legislature / Governor (at the state level). If you can ask candidates to state their position on RTC on the record (such as by using a candidate questionnaire), you can increase accountability and influence.

• Budget timing / pressures: It is important to know when key decisions are made about the budget: missing the window can mean waiting a long time. Cities and states can face a number of external budgetary challenges: for instance, in 2026 federal cuts to Medicare / Medicaid, Legal Services Corporation, HUD, and a variety of grant programs has forced cities and states to backfill missing revenue, making it harder to secure funding for new or expanding programs.

• Other housing campaigns: Sometimes RTC is being pursued at the same time as other housing reforms, such as affordable housing trust funds, rental assistance, or other tenant protections such as just cause. There may be times when the primary RTC movers turn their attention to other campaigns temporarily or indefinitely, so it is good to understand the total housing reform landscape.

• Data needs: If you discover you lack some of the key data you need to make the case for RTC (such as the impact of counsel or data to accurately determine the cost), it may be that a data-collecting pilot program becomes necessary, and these typically take a year or longer to run.