Organizing

Tenants Together emerged on the heels of the movement to defeat Prop 98 in 2008, which would have made it illegal for cities in California to adopt or practice rent control. Cities that had been engaging mostly in local fights for decades realized the tenant movement needed to coordinate strategy and fight at the state level. Since then we have worked at city and state level to expand renters’ rights, and grow a grassroots movement of tenants to fight for stable homes and healthy housing. 

In places where there are already tenant organizations on the ground, Tenants Together acts as a coalition to bring groups together statewide and coordinate to protect and expand renters' rights translocally and in the state legislature. We currently have over 50 member organizations who do tenant organizing and/or advocacy as a significant part of their work.

Where there are no local groups, we work with tenant leaders to form them. TT members work to form tenant associations, form local tenant action groups (TAGs), and conduct outreach in their communities.  We’ve worked with members to provide help with organizing in Antioch, Fresno, Merced, Concord, Sacramento, Ridgecrest, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, and other communities. Annually we hold trainings and assemblies to provide more intensive skill-building and the opportunity to meet other activists across the state.

 

See our members and member organizations in action! Key photo albums:

Help build power for renters' rights: