Tenants Union of Washington State

Founded in Seattle by volunteers who created a tenants' rights hotline in 1977, the Tenants Union is committed to education tenants while also building a proud legacy of organizing and action. The TU has a long legacy of victories for tenants including: Just Cause Eviction protection enacted in Seattle in 1981, Preservation of Low Income Housing through tenant organizing and saving buildings slated to become market rate. Statewide "Slumlord Accountability Act" which requires landlords pay relocation funds to tenants displaced due to condemnation of buildings due to landlord negligence.

Tenants Union Mission Statement: "The mission of the Tenants Union is to create housing justice through empowerment based education, leadership development, outreach, organizing and advocacy. Founded in 1977, the TU carries on a proud legacy of work to create concrete improvements in tenants' living conditions and challenge and transform unjust housing policies and practices. As a membership organization, the TU's work is grounded in the strong conviction that tenants must be the leaders of the efforts to transform our housing conditions and communities. The TU embraces the values of equality, hope, tenant leadership, respect, direct action, civic courage, racial and economic justice, and self-determiniation." The Spokane office provides a weekly walk-in tenant clinic to educate and inform tenants about tenant rights and assist with legal and financial resources. We organize tenants living in HUD Section 8 project based buildings and in public housing to form tenants associations to collectively address housing and quality of life. We hold monthly tenant meetings for all Spokane tenants to develop leadership and address housing policies that lead to housing justice.