Project Overview

Hartford tenants hold renters’ rally (photo taken by the Housing Equity Project team)

Research Questions

The questions we aimed to answer were:

• What are the significant aspects of tenant movements and organizing between the 1960’s and 2000’s?

• How can these instances inform the tenant movements of today?

Tenant organizing in Connecticut has a rich history of advocating for renters’ rights and addressing housing issues. Over the years, there have been various grassroots organizations and community-led initiatives that have fought for affordable housing, fair housing policies, and tenant protections. These efforts aim to empower tenants, improve living conditions, and challenge unjust practices by landlords. It is truly remarkable to witness communities coming together to create positive change and evoke their power. Connecticut has seen an insurmountable resurgence in tenant organizing in the last couple of years. During the pandemic and even prior to its onset, renters have unfortunately been subjected to numerous instances of institutional failure. These failures have resulted in a lack of protection against exploitative landlords, substandard living conditions, exorbitant rent increases, and an unjust eviction process that leaves tenants vulnerable to displacement. Our current tenant organizing movement arose out of these housing issues. Our community partners, the Connecticut Fair Housing Center and the Connecticut Tenants Union, commissioned us to uncover some of the history of tenant organizing in Hartford that may not be well known to the advocates of today. This brings us to the topic of our research, the ‘Housing Equity Project’. Our aim is to investigate the historical roots of tenant unions in Hartford, establishing a connection between past housing movements and ongoing housing challenges. Our project entailed learning about the history of tenant unions through interviews with past participants of the movement and other associated organizations to create a product that provides useful information from the past for today’s tenant leaders.

Our research process

Our Community Partner

Logos of Connecticut Fair Housing Center (left) and Connecticut Tenants Union (right)

“Established in 1994, the mission of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center (CTFHC) is to ensure that all people have equal access to housing opportunities in Connecticut, free from discrimination. CTFHC conducts statewide education and outreach to ensure residents understand their fair housing rights and works with state and local governments, housing professionals, and others to promote compliance with federal and state fair housing laws. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center is a 501(c)(3) private, nonprofit organization.”  (The mission and history, CTFHC).

The Connecticut Fair Housing Center has worked tirelessly to serve the residents of Connecticut, and their work has grown as the needs of our residents has grown. More recently, with the uptick of landlord and tenant disputes, the need to assist tenants in being able to organize arose. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center is working with numerous organizations and individual tenants to ensure that they are aware of their rights and pointing them in the direction of vital resources necessary for them to start empowering themselves.

“The Connecticut Tenants Union (CTTU) brings together tenants, tenant unions, and tenant associations from across the state who are organizing collectively to demand stronger rights for tenants; an end to displacement, landlord harassment, and eviction; and democratic control of our housing. ”

The Connecticut Tenants Union was born when tenants across the state recognized that there was a gap in tenants feeling heard and represented. Through community education, legislative advocacy efforts and fierce advocacy, the Connecticut Tenants Union was born and continues to support up and coming tenant unions across the state.