Fed Bill Would Boost Tenants Unions

by Thomas Breen, Nov. 12, New Haven Independent

Last Thursday, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined a half dozen members of the Blake Street Tenants Union, along with leaders of Connecticut Tenants Union, to announce his co-sponsorship of that proposed federal legislation. … As Blumenthal explained on Thursday, the proposed bill would support tenants union organizing in the following ways:

* By explicitly prohibiting landlords from retaliating against tenants who participate in or try to organize such unions.

* By providing federal “resources” — aka money — to support tenants union organizing. Per a draft version of the law, that would include no less than $1 million for a nationwide outreach and training program for tenants in housing covered by this law, as well as $40 per unit per year for tenant resident councils.

• By covering all tenants who live in “government supported housing” … Blumenthal said that a quarter of all rental housing across the country would fall into this “government-supported” category.

To read this article in its entirety, visit https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/tenant_organizing_2