Francis Faye Oak and Devin Rydel Kelly came on the podcast to talk about tenant rights, tenant organizing, and the growing tenant union movement in Tacoma. The conversation centers on the origins and goals of Tacoma for All, a housing justice organization that emerged in response to rising rents, displacement, and deteriorating living conditions, and on the recent fight to defend Tacoma’s voter-approved Landlord Fairness Code from proposed rollbacks at City Council.
Francis and Devin explain the difference between traditional “activism” and grassroots organizing, emphasizing the power of building relationships among neighbors around shared material conditions. They discuss how Tacoma for All successfully organized a citizen-led initiative to pass some of the strongest tenant protections in Washington State, and why they now see tenant unions as a crucial next step in building lasting power where people live. Especially as landlords and local political leaders attempt to weaken those protections.
The episode also dives into what a tenant union actually is, using the New York Apartments Tenant Union in Stadium District as a real-world example. Sparked by unresolved maintenance issues and landlord neglect, tenants began talking with one another, realized their problems were shared, and organized collectively to demand safe, healthy, and stable housing.
Finally, the conversation broadens to the larger housing crisis, touching on nonprofit housing providers, political accountability, and the limits of relying on market-based solutions for a basic human need. Francis and Devin argue that housing instability is a systemic problem, not a moral failing of tenants, and that real change requires organized tenants, community solidarity, and sustained pressure on local power structures. The episode closes with a call for more Tacoman residents (renters and allies alike) to get involved, build relationships with their neighbors, and recognize their collective power in shaping the city’s future.
Tacoma for All is a democratic membership organization that unites tenants, workers, and community members to transform Tacoma into a city governed by and for working people. Together, their goals are to are build a movement to abolish poverty, guarantee housing for all, dismantle racial inequities, and secure a sustainable future.
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