This project explores and supports tenant activism in Upstate New York through the production and contextualization of a recruitment booklet for the Syracuse Tenants Union. My project first discusses the current crisis tenants are facing during COVID-19, then examines the larger housing crisis, provides a brief history of tenant activism in the United States, and overviews tenant activist groups in Upstate New York.
To further explore Upstate's tenant activist landscape, I discuss the findings of interviews with tenant activists. These interviews highlight the largest struggles tenants face, the actions they are taking, barriers they encounter, and their visions for the future. I argue these interviews demonstrate the need for a booklet to help STU both recruit and educate tenants, a draft of which is included. Lastly, I argue that the provided evidence demonstrates the harsh impacts of housing commodification and review the possibilities and limits of potential solutions.

Links to Project Materials:

Additional support provided by: Honors Funding, SOURCE Grant

College of Arts & Sciences 2020, Social Science Projects 2020, 2020