The resurgent American labor movement is coming for America’s landlords.
Perhaps taking a cue from the warehouse workers, digital-media employees and Starbucks baristas who have waged high-profile unionization drives over the past year or so, it appears tenants across the nation are forming “tenant unions” to gain leverage over their landlords, with many rebelling against corporate landlords in particular, according to a report from WSJ.
That’s a problem for Blackstone and the other private equity giants that found an opportunity in the pandemic-inspired housing market frenzy. While tenant unions have existed in some form for over a century, WSJ says that – particularly in high-cost cities like NYC and San Francisco – the organizations are seeing a resurgence.
Hundreds of new tenant unions have been formed during the pandemic, estimated Katie Goldstein, director of housing campaigns for the Center for Popular Democracy. The progressive organization with 50 affiliate groups across the country is one of a handful of activist networks advising tenant unions.
WSJ’s reporter even confirmed that the increase was indeed happening with landlord trade organizations, which responded that many of the new organizations only have a few members.
But before mom-and-pop landlords start to panic, these tenant ‘associations’ actually have little legal power or standing. Unfortunately (for landlords), some progressive lawmakers are talking about maybe trying to change that.
The equivalent of the Anti-HomeOwner’s-Association!
Why does RINO John Cannon, the Slumlord come to mind?
Maybe now Salisbury can focus on On the real taxpayers of the city and not the slum lords they keep electing the councils.
Large investment trusts are buying up manufactured home communities nationwide that are occupied by folks that have incomes less than 50k or limited retirement incomes. It’s a win-win for the investors the land appreciates and you have thousands of people paying rent for small parcels and they can raise the rent anytime without improvements in the amenities. Most of the manufactured structures are dated and worthless and the new ones are hardly Mobile and more like structured homes. Many said Parks have been forced to create Escrow accounts to relocate occupants but where are they going to go and will their homes survive a move around here half an acre of land is likely not to perk for conventional septic and you spend thousands more. The ” Tiny Home ” movement too is Gentrifying these parks with semi-retired folk that still work from home and make good incomes and have good retirements and investments and want to live in idealized places with similar homes and not see decrepit older homes with wheelchair ramps, rotting porches, decks, and moldy garden gnomes, Lighthouses and Trump flags in the yards. There’s no dignity in being Poor anymore. It’s hardly tolerated. The hardworking poor strive to be independent and separate themselves from the state dependant POOR but to some, they are all they same. Their past their deeds their beliefs and their lives don’t matter. Tough Love and Tuff Luck to them. It’s a sad state of affairs and it’s going to get worse.