A 'Now Leasing' sign hangs off an apartment building in Portland, Ore., Dec. 9, 2021.

Photo: Sara Cline/Associated Press

Renters aren’t second-class citizens and shouldn’t be treated as such (“Homeowner Groups Fight Investors’ Push Into Suburbs,” Page One, April 19). They pay taxes and contribute to local economies and communities. Their kids attend the same schools as those who own homes. They vote. Yet many communities tell them to stay out, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that renters are lower income and thus less desirable neighbors.

About a third of U.S. households are rented. Renters, like owners, span the income spectrum and constitute a diverse community. With the nation facing a housing-affordability crisis, we need to provide opportunities for all types of households in communities that have good schools, services and access to good jobs. Shutting renters out will only exacerbate the imbalance between demand for rental housing and the available supply.

Doug Bibby

National Multifamily Housing Council

Washington