Gina Chiala, attorney for the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom, capped a recent KPCT show about affordable housing by offering “five things you can do to protect your rights as a tenant.”

• Get it in writing.

• Make request for repairs in writing . . . and keep a copy.

• Know what a landlord can and cannot do under the law.

• Do not ignore eviction lawsuits.

• Get your deposit back.

See her full explanation behind her advice here.

Chiala’s tips were added to a town hall at the Kansas City Public Library earlier this year with KCPT that brought together a panel with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, KC Tenants founder Tara Raghuveer, tenant Tiana Caldwell, real estate agent Stacy Johnson-Cosby and Heartland Apartment Association Executive Vice President Sam Alpert.

See the full town hall meeting here.

Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom recently was awarded a $50,000 grant from Health Forward to work with tenants and community allies working to obtain safe, affordable, and healthy housing by operating a legal help hotline for tenants.