I will be graduating from Saint Joseph’s College in May. I plan on living on my own after graduation. Until recently, I had never put much thought into what living “on my own” was going to be like.

The tragedy of the fire that claimed six lives on Noyes Street in November led me to reflect upon and research tenants’ rights in Maine. When I spoke with my peers who are in similar situations, it was clear that our knowledge regarding tenants’ rights and laws about rental properties was very, very minimal.

After the fire last November, a small group of Portland residents came together to address the needs and safety of Portland renters.

Grace Damon helped revitalize the Portland Tenants Union, and their goal has been to raise awareness of renters’ rights, to work with the city of Portland on building safety and to create a website for tenants.

A group like this is important especially for people to learn their rights regarding safety, leases or who their landlords are. We must support an organization like this if it cares about its citizens, but the city should do more.

Portland should create a new “housing department,” and, more importantly, hire a full-time tenant advocate.

The department should designate a housing safety official with authority over housing safety who will ensure communication, coordination, accountability, training and technology utilization across relevant city departments. Cross-trained inspectors would inspect all rental properties.

If you are a Portland renter, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TTLVMX9. This survey asks about your rights as a renter, safety and lease information regarding your rental. With your help, this information will bring positive change when it comes to tenants’ rights in the city of Portland.

JulieAnne Fernandez

Litchfield, N.H.