Under current federal law, only some tenants receiving rental assistance can organize unions. Newly proposed federal legislation would expand these protections to low-income renters.
The Tenants’ Right to Organize Act, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, would be an amendment to the Housing Act of 1937.
The right and protection to organize impacts all parts of our lives, according to Connecticut Tenants Union Vice President Luke Melonakos-Harrison.
“The protection against retaliation is pivotal,” Melonakos-Harrison said. “It's kind of just the absolute baseline upon which we can then build to advocate for other forms of protection, rights, affordability, security and stability, everything that every person needs to have a safe place to sleep at night.”
If the bill passes, renters in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) , and groups of three or more Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher recipients, would be able to form tenants unions.
The unions allow tenants to fight unfair or unsafe housing, while the expanded law would protect tenants unions from landlord retaliation.
Under the proposed law, public housing agencies and landlords cannot evict Section 8 voucher recipients and renters in low-income housing developments for creating tenants unions.
The bill would also provide financial support for tenants, in the form of training or resources. The funding could cover tenants' union organizing costs, Blumenthal said.
Enabling renters in rent-restricted apartments to form tenants unions will lead to lower eviction rates and improved housing conditions.
Under the bill, landlords and public housing agencies would be held accountable, with a provision requiring owners to recognize legitimate tenant organizations and respond to their concerns. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of the Treasury would be required to establish enforcement protocols, including complaint filing processes, investigation of abuses and regular reporting to Congress to ensure compliance.
One quarter of all renters in the U.S. receive some form of federal housing support. The bill would allow residents from all income levels to access tenants unions, Blumenthal said.
“It would be any government supported housing,” Blumenthal said. “We're talking about housing that's inhabited by Section Eight tenants or any landlord that borrowed with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac backing, which a lot of landlords do. They get the benefit of lower interest rates because their warranties are backed by the government and if they get that benefit, they should be constrained in retaliation.”
“The reach of these kinds of government assistance programs is enormous,” Blumenthal said.
