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💡 😄 ✅ A list of project ideas for open source projects at OpenMaine
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Rent Stabilization Calculator #8

Open elburnett opened 3 years ago

elburnett commented 3 years ago

Rent Stabilization Calculator

What problem are you trying to solve?

The City of Portland recently passed a rent stabilization ordinance. This limits the annual rent increases that are allowed, as set by the city. Landlords are able to "bank" costs associated with repairs or upgrades to the unit over several years. With the ordinance going into effect January 1, it's unlikely that the City of Portland will be able to create its own calculator for landlords to use, which makes it difficult to enforce the new program.

In less than 140 characters explain your idea?

Create a cost calculator to help landlords comply with Portland's new rent stabilization ordinance.

Who will benefit from your project? Can you tell their story?

As a landlord, I know that I can no longer raise rents past the amount the city sets each year. But how can I make improvements to my property? I need to figure out my costs and get a sense of how to pay for everything.

As a citizen who recently voted for the rent stabilization ordinance, I want to make sure that the program is running effectively and that the rent board is helping landlords comply with the law.

What other resources/tools are currently serving the same need?

Is there any data, research or code available for your current idea?

Here is a calculator from a city that has a similar program implemented: Berkeley

Read the full rent stabilization ordinance. See all of section Sec. 6–234. Rent increase limitations: https://www.peoplefirstportland.org/tenant-protections-text

Are there any Drawbacks to choosing this path?

What would success look like?

If this gets used, it could get adopted by the Rent Board and used by the city.

What help do you need now?

Scoping the project; it seems pretty simple and could maybe even be developed using an out of the box solution (Typeform, for instance, has a calculator tool)

What are the next steps (validation, research, coding, design)?

Validation

Please remember to find us at openmaine.org and sign up for our Slack, etc. And feel free to email us: hello@openmaine.org

elburnett commented 3 years ago

@BenjaminLWeiss is interested in doing the backend of the calculator

caitlinpmarshall commented 3 years ago

Hi folks, looking forward to getting this project rolling! I'll be on the lead for coordinating the various pieces.

Most of the conversation for this can be in Slack, but here's a general outline to reference. I'll move the project over into its own repository when we've got a bit more put together.

Right now, we're talking about a simple one page website, with a simple explanation of the law, explanation of how the calculator works, and a JavaScript calculator. Planning to have it ready by about April.

Next steps:

RESEARCH - Arielle and Clare 

what inputs (property value? address? etc) the calculator will need 
the specifics of the ordinance

DESIGN - Elizabeth and Shannon 

the website
the calculator

CODING

build the site in HTML & CSS - Caitlin
build the calculator in JS - Arielle (?)

TESTING

usability testing with tenants
usability testing with landlords
congdon commented 3 years ago

@BenjaminLWeiss is interested in doing the backend of the calculator

But I think that is Arielle's territory now.

(Also, FYI: 'back end' is the wrong word. This is entirely a 'front end' project.)

congdon commented 3 years ago

It might not get used if the info in it isn't accurate.

I think this should be rephrased. The goal is not that it be used regardless of accuracy. We should not release it without having confidence in the accuracy. Not quite a 'drawback', but a responsibility to make sure it's accurate. Maybe Ben can help with that?