Latest Releases
Senator Smith, Colleagues Question RealPage CEO on Role in Exacerbating Housing Inflation
Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Housing, Transportation and Community Development Subcommittee, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to RealPage CEO Dana Jones, expressing concern about RealPage’s algorithmic pricing software, and its role in driving rising rents across the country. This letter follows reporting indicating that the software, YieldStar, may push affordable housing for families further out of reach by “artificially inflating rents and stifling competition,” creating a rent-hike race to the top. According to a ProPublica investigation, YieldStar, a “software that uses a mysterious algorithm to help landlords push the highest possible rents on tenants,” has become the favored rent-setting tool for some of the largest landlords in the country. RealPage reported that its clients used its rent-setting technology to price nearly 20 million units in 2020. Greystar, the largest property management company in the U.S., uses this software to set rents for over 150,000 apartments. And it is not just the largest landlords utilizing this technology: ProPublica investigators found that rent in 70 percent of units in one Seattle neighborhood, overseen by ten different property managers, was set using RealPage’s pricing software. Using lease and other private information collected from RealPage customers, YieldStar’s algorithm calculates and suggests the highest rents landlords should charge, “push[ing] [them] to go places that [they] wouldn’t have gone if [they] weren’t using it.” RealPage advertises that its customers “outperform the market,” “recommend[ing] that landlords in some cases accept a
Senators Smith, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Mental Health Care Coverage, Hold Insurance Companies Accountable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/15/22] — Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), introduced legislation to improve mental health coverage. Specifically, the bill would crack down on inaccurate health care provider listings or “ghost networks,” and create stronger enforcement standards to protect those seeking mental health care. “We need to treat mental health with the same urgency we treat physical health, and that means making sure everyone has access to the care they need,” said Sen. Smith. “By law, insurance companies must cover mental health just like they cover physical health, yet they’re still finding ways to dodge compliance and deny coverage. By setting stricter standards and holding insurance companies accountable for inaccurate listings, this legislation will help ensure people can access the mental health care coverage they are entitled to.” “Too often, Americans who need affordable mental health care hit a dead end when they try to find a provider that’s covered by their insurance,” Wyden said. “Ghost networks mean that the lists of mental health providers in insurance company directories are almost useless. This legislation will create real accountability and consequences for insurance companies that refuse to do the necessary work of keeping provider directories up to date.” “People face great barriers accessing mental health care. One of those barriers is finding a provider who is in network and taking new patients,” said Sue Abderholden, Executive Director, NAMI Minnesota. “Too many people find inaccurate information in network listings and many of the providers are not taking new
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Honors Grand Portage Chairman Norman Deschampe with Senate Tribute
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Honors Grand Portage Chairman Norman Deschampe with Senate Tribute WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/27/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) honored the legacy and contributions of Grand Portage Chairman Norman W. Deschampe, who recently passed away. Praising his leadership, Sen. Smith cited the numerous issues Deschampe championed in his more than 40 years of service to the Grand Portage Band, serving 27 of those years as Chairman. Sen. Smith’s tribute follows Governor Tim Walz’s declaration of February 26, 2019 as Norman Deschampe Day. “Norman Deschampe’s legacy includes a longstanding commitment to supporting the health, education, and economic development of the Grand Portage Band,” wrote Sen. Smith, a
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