What is Lexington Tenants Union?
We are a tenant-led organization dedicated to securing safe, decent, and affordable housing as a human right for all renters in Lexington.
What is a tenant?
A tenant is anyone who does not ultimately control their own housing. This includes people who rent, are houseless, or whose bank owns the loan for their home.
What is a tenants union?
A tenants union is an organization made up of and led by tenants themselves to fight for their collective interests and housing rights.
Why do I need a tenants union?
Because together, we can win! The relationship between landlords and tenants is inherently unequal, exploitative, and unjust. Every human being needs housing for survival. Landlords and banks control this resource, giving them economic and political power. Other tenants unions around the country have proven that when tenants organize together, they can:
- Resist illegal evictions
- Help tenants get promised repairs made and pest problems taken care of
- Protect tenants against rent hikes
- Help tenants advocate for updated appliances, proper lighting, and clean common areas
- Create a space for tenants to share, organize, and plan about issues like noise and trash
- Resist gentrification and other forms of housing injustice
Why do we need this in Lexington?
This is our community. We are tenants in Lexington, and we have lived and seen the effects of gentrification, evictions, discrimination and housing instability.
According to the Lexington Fair Housing Council:
- Up to 19% of renters in Lexington may be evicted in an average year.
- Evictions and foreclosures are concentrated in areas of Lexington with non-white residents.
- Evictions are also concentrated by landlord. More than half of all evictions are initiated by landlords with more than 100 filings.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only made the situation worse.
Interested? Get involved!