Passion Project: Initiative to translate rent-related documents in multiple languages for non-English-proficient speakers
Hi all! I'd really appreciate feedback on whether this can get me into an Ivy. For context, I‘m a freshman in high school and this is a passion project that im trying to launch in my local neighborhood of Fremont CA. I’d appreciate any help or advice trying to work out the logistics. I want to work to change the law and how non-English proficiency affects tenants is a topic that I'm interested in. I've done some research on it and have recently started this initiative called "Not Just English Rent." Fremont doesn't have a kind of law that requires all eviction-related clauses to be translated in multiple languages, but it has an extremely diverse population (a lot of people speak more than just English, and a lot of people are not fluent in English). The city provides pre-translated templates but only encourages for them to be used; it isn't mandatory. Newark, a neighboring city, has made it mandatory to translate such documents, or the notice will be considered void. This law could help make residents aware of their rights and reduce eviction and homelessness. Potential problems that could come with doing this could be: smaller landlords might leave the market because of paperwork and fear of not getting profit, tenants could weaponize this law and live rent-free, etc. It's obvious that Fremont is not going to be able to copy Newark's law word-for-word, but I'm trying to implement something similar in our city. I'm new to all this and I need other minds to help brainstorm potential proposals, and when I eventually come up with something viable, I'm planning to approach the City Council. I made a post on Instagram to raise awareness, so I'd REALLY REALLY appreciate it if you guys can like it and follow the account and also comment some feedback. I'm linking it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVfo58_FLKD/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== . If anyone has any experience with rent, how this might affect the housing market, or changing local/state law, please reach out to the account. Also, please just genuinely let me know - do you think this is something worth pursuing, and can a plan actually be achieved in this topic, or are there just too many variables that can't work out?
Posted Mar 6, 2026, 4:14 AM UTC