Tenants Union of Washington State

The Tenants Union of Washington State (TU) works for housing justice — stable, healthy, affordable housing for all — through empowerment-based tenant education, organizing, leadership development, and advocacy. A by and for organization, the TU serves low-income renters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, elders, people with disabilities, single parents, domestic violence survivors, formerly incarcerated individuals, Section 8 renters, and other very low income tenants. We bring these communities to the forefront of the fight for housing justice by developing tenant leadership, celebrating tenant diversity, and amplifying tenant voices. For nearly 50 years, the TU has worked to create concrete improvements in tenants' living conditions, and to challenge and transform unjust housing policies and practices.

We believe that safe, dignified, and affordable housing is a basic human right. Our work is grounded in the conviction that tenants must be the leaders in the effort to transform their housing conditions and communities. Thus, the TU strives to build renter power and to win housing for all. In the past year, the TU received and responded to 2800 tenant hotline calls and intake forms, in 12 different languages; reached over 300,000 individuals through our comprehensive tenant rights website, updating the site regularly in 5 different languages, including our newest addition, Marshallese; and provided multilingual tenant education to over 600 renters through 27 Know Your Rights workshops. We supported the development of new tenant leaders (and worked closely with seasoned ones) in the fight for housing justice, and we fought tirelessly for tenant protections across Washington State, including our continued policy campaign for rent stabilization.

With current Federal funding cuts in play, the TU's services and programs are more critical than ever. Your donation will help keep all of us — including Washington's low-income and marginalized renters — safely and fairly housed. 

Thank you for your generous support!