During the past seven years, our organizing work has focused on the "preservation" issue. We have spearheaded efforts to organize tenants in more than 46 federally subsidized apartment complexes when the owners of this housing have announced plans to convert to market rents, threatening the displacement of the low income residents. Tenant leaders working with HOME Line and other state advocacy groups played a major role in securing major state appropriations for preservation in 1998.
In a new effort to reach tenants before their housing is in jeopardy, we have started a tenant outreach campaign for organizing residents in subsidized buildings at risk of being converted to market rate rents. There are 79 buildings with 3,287 units that are at risk of being converted to market rate rents in the Metro area. To date we have door knocked 30 buildings and have gotten over 80 tenants actively involved in the Minnesota Tenants Alliance (MTA). These buildings have been chosen because the owner has the ability to terminate housing assistance contracts within the next three years and convert the units to market rate rents.
In our Outreach Campaign, we contact tenants, inform them about their rights, help them form a tenant association in their building, and get them involved in the Minnesota Tenants Alliance (MTA). MTA is a grassroots organization of low income tenant leaders who work to change local, state, and federal low income housing policies. If the owner later begins to terminate the housing assistance contract, the tenants are in a better position to work collectively with the landlord and their elected and bureaucratic officials to preserve the affordability of their homes. This is also an effective means to involve interested tenants in MTA so they can work to preserve affordable housing on a statewide and national scale.
Current Organizing goals
As we move into the future, the organizing is focusing on these goals:
- Continue organizing tenants in federally assisted privately owned housing where the owners are attempting to leave the subsidy program that keeps their housing affordable and work to play a meaningful role in the Rural Development preservation process.
- Reach out to tenants in at-risk buildings and their communities before their housing is threatened with the loss of subsidy.
- Prevent cuts to the Section 8 Voucher Program by working with affected tenants, landlords, housing agencies and elected officials.
- Involve tenants in the statewide and federal policy discussions that affect their lives.