Kansas City Tenants Union Explained

The Kansas City Tenants Union, also known as KC Tenants, is a non-profit tenant's union in Kansas City, Missouri. It was founded in 2019 by Tiana Caldwell and Tara Raghuveer.[1] [2]

Kansas City Tenants Union
Location Country:United States
Headquarters:Kansas City, Missouri
Key People:Tiana Caldwell, Diane Charity, Brandy Granados, and Tara Raghuveer (co-founders)
Affiliations:Tenant Union Federation

History

KC Tenants was founded with an annual budget of $30,000, which has grown to almost $600,000 in June 2023. The union has worked together with Mayor Quinton Lucas on housing policy,[3] notably passing a tenant's bill of rights in 2019 that included banning "discrimination against prospective tenants solely because of a prior arrest, conviction or eviction."[4] KC Tenants has clashed with landlords and the courts over specific eviction cases[5] and the COVID eviction moratorium.[6] The group has a tenants' hotline and an incident report form for renters experiencing housing issues or who have questions about renters' rights.[7]

The organization pressured the city into passing a tenants right to counsel policy, which provides free legal counseling for renters facing eviction filings.[8] [9] In January 2024, Kansas City City Council passed a source of income discrimination ban advocated by KC Tenants.[10] [11] [12] The group also advocates for a "People's Housing Trust Fund" to build affordable housing, originally to be funded through reducing the Kansas City police department budget.[13]

The Kansas City Homeless Union formed in January 2021 with support from KC Tenants.[14] The two groups have demonstrated together for housing policy reform.[15]

KC Tenants Power

KC Tenants launched its political wing in October 2022 named KC Tenants Power.[16]

In June 2023, candidates endorsed by KC Tenants Power won four out of the thirteen Kansas City city council commissioner seats, losing two races.[17]

Founding of Tenant Union Federation

In August 2024, KC Tenants, Connecticut Tenant Union, Louisville Tenant Union, Bozeman Tenants United, and Not Me We founded the Tenant Union Federation.[18] [19] The federation describes its goals as: "use the collective power of its locals to negotiate better living conditions for renters, slow the commodification of housing, help establish alternatives to the predominant market-based solution to housing, guarantee housing as a public utility, and create economic and political power for its renters."[20] The federation's first campaign hopes to cap rent on housing managed by the federal government.

Rent strikes

See main article: article and 2024 Kansas City metropolitan area rent strike. On Friday, September 27, 2024, KC Tenants announced rent strikes at Independence Towers and Quality Hill Towers beginning October 1. Union members demanded collectively bargained lease agreements, new ownership of the apartment complexes, and a federal rent cap.[21] The strikes focused on the properties' landlords, as well as the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) and Fannie Mae. Tenants were expected to withhold $60,000 of rent in the first month of the strike between the two complexes.[22] As of October 1, 65% of Independence Towers residents had joined the rent strike.[23] Kansas City congressman Emmanuel Cleaver said in September 2024 he would support a rent strike at Independence Towers.[24]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Herschander . Sara . 2023-06-21 . Foundations buoy a new movement of renters’ activism . 2023-06-30 . AP News . en.
  2. Web site: About . 2023-06-30 . kctenants.org . en-us.
  3. News: Dougherty . Conor . 2022-10-15 . The Rent Revolution Is Coming . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-07-03 . 0362-4331.
  4. Web site: Kite . Allison . 2019-12-12 . Kansas City Council passes tenant bill of rights with tweaks . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221015171304/https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article238315408.html . 2022-10-15 . 2023-07-01 . The Kansas City Star.
  5. Web site: Lukitsch . Bill . 2021-10-12 . KC renters in dispute with landlord after getting notice to vacate . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221015170959/https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article254932312.html . 2022-10-15 . 2023-07-01 . The Kansas City Star.
  6. Web site: Kite . Allison . 2021-01-07 . KC Tenants blocks court, vows to keep disrupting evictions . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221015171352/https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article248326305.html . 2022-10-15 . 2023-07-01 . The Kansas City Star.
  7. Web site: KC Tenants COVID-19 Response . 2023-07-03 . kctenants.org . en-us.
  8. Web site: Webster . Betsy . 2023-06-21 . KC Tenants leader wins council seat . 2023-07-03 . . en.
  9. Web site: Right to Legal Counsel for Kansas City tenants facing eviction to start June 1 . 2023-07-03 . City of Kansas City, MO . en.
  10. Web site: Hendricks . Mike . New law makes ‘life just a little bit easier for renters,’ Kansas City mayor says . Kansas City Star.
  11. Web site: 2024-10-12 . 2 landlords file lawsuit against Kansas City over source of discrimination ban ordinance passed in January . 2024-10-26 . KSHB 41 Kansas City News . en.
  12. Web site: Moore . Katie . Landlords sue Kansas City over discrimination ban, to deny tenants who use housing vouchers . Kansas City Star.
  13. Web site: Morris . Frank . 2021-06-28 . KC Tenants Proposes $30 Million Affordable Housing Trust Fund, With Money Diverted From Police Budget . 2023-07-03 . . en.
  14. Web site: KCHU . 2023-07-01 . kchomelessunion.org.
  15. Web site: Toyoshiba . Jill . 2021-07-18 . Homeless union and KC Tenants demonstrate together after city posts notice to vacate The Kansas City Star . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210718122117/https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article250383296.html . 2021-07-18 . 2023-07-01 . The Kansas City Star.
  16. Web site: Mansaray . Mili . 2022-10-14 . KC Tenants announces sister organization focused on building political power . 2023-06-30 . . en-US.
  17. Web site: Webster . Betsy . 2023-06-21 . KC Tenants leader wins council seat . 2023-06-30 . . en.
  18. Web site: Hood . Nydja . 2024-08-08 . KC Tenants join movement to organize nationally, fight against rising rent rates . 2024-08-09 . . en.
  19. Web site: Perez . Zach . 2024-08-08 . Building on success in Kansas City, KC Tenants helps form first-ever national tenant federation . 2024-08-09 . . en.
  20. Web site: About . 2024-08-09 . Tenant Union Federation website . en.
  21. Web site: Calfee . Kendrick . Tenants vote for rent strike at Independence Towers, Quality Hills if demands aren’t met . Kansas City Star.
  22. Web site: 2024-10-01 . 'Not one cent': 2 Kansas City-area tenant unions launch rent strike . 2024-10-03 . KSHB 41 Kansas City News . en.
  23. Web site: Kansas City tenants go on rent strike over living conditions . KMBC Kansas City.
  24. Web site: 2024-10-03 . 2 Kansas City-area apartment buildings go on rent strike over conditions: ‘Nothing left to lose’ . 2024-10-03 . KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR . en.

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