NLIHC will release the next issue of Tenant Talk – Advancing Tenant Protections: Building Tenant Power to Achieve Renter Equity – on February 9! Sign up today to receive a paper copy of the upcoming issue.
Tenant Talk is a semi-annual newsletter designed to engage residents in housing advocacy. Each edition highlights innovative approaches and recent victories in communities throughout the U.S. while also providing news about the key issues playing out in Congress. The upcoming edition of Tenant Talk focuses on the rapid growth of tenant protections and the role tenants have played in the tenants’ rights movement.
History shows that tenants play an important role in shaping housing policy during times of crisis. Power imbalances have probably always existed between owners of shelter and those who need access to this shelter to survive, but these imbalances changed during the era of rapid industrialization in the nineteenth century, when tenancy became more common in many parts of the U.S. Since then, tenant groups have formed to fight against unjust living conditions, high rents, and evictions – and that’s just to name a few concerns! In places with histories of tenant movements, such as New York City, the first tenant-related laws were passed as early as the 1860s, and new laws have been fought for by tenant groups ever since. These advocacy efforts have shown time and time again that tenants have the power to push for and enact essential protections, especially during times of crisis. We know that many tenants are eager to continue the struggle for long-term tenant protections, and we hope this issue of Tenant Talk will be helpful in that journey.
The new issue of Tenant Talk will include articles spotlighting different tenant protections that have been passed in the U.S. over the last few years. As always, the issue includes resident perspectives that dive deeper into renters’ experiences, and this issue will also contain an article from tenant leaders describing their visit to the White House to discuss tenant protections and housing affordability. Readers will also find updates on policy, racial equity, and research developments.
If you would like to receive Tenant Talk for free through the mail, please fill out this quick-and-easy form, and let us know how many copies you would like (with a maximum of five). Please share the link with your network and others who might be interested!