I know a lot of my friends and colleagues are hard hit financially, and I want to help in any way I can. I started a letter writing campaign to ask nicely for what we need, but we might have to just take it. So I sat down and had a good (virtual) conversation with Anthony Bencivengo who has tenant organizing experience as a volunteer for Portland Tenants United.

First of all, this all applies best to an apartment building. If you know your neighbors and are friendly with them you’re off to a good start, but if not there’s still work you can do to build the trust necessary for a rent strike or for asking for what you need. We are all going through the same collective trauma, so it might be the best time to build this solidarity and sense of community with your fellow tenants.

Getting in Contact

In these times of social distancing, the best approach is probably to print out some flyers to leave on your neighbors’ doors. Knock and back up 6 feet, talk if you can, let them read the flyer later if they don’t answer the door (and I don’t blame them if they don’t – we don’t answer the door at my place now anymore).

What should your flyer say? Lets stick with something more neutral for now like tenants rights. I can help you design a flyer, and I can help you assemble a fact sheet to help educate yourself and your community members on your legal rights. Include your phone number or email and a call to action so you can move on to the next step.

The Meeting

It will have to be virtual obviously, but try to organize a conference call or similar with everybody who’s interested.

That meeting is where you start discussing what you all want to do together – hopefully start a tenant union in the building, and start discussing what changes the union wants to fight for. As well as planning for how to get more of the other tenants involved.

That could lead to a rent strike, or a more modest organizing campaign around specific demands. Wherever it goes should originate organically from the tenants.