Who we are:
The Ithaca Tenants Union is an Ithaca-area volunteer organization working to advance the class power of people who don’t own or control their housing. We are a membership organization, but work in service of the entire area’s tenant constituency, which represents over 70% of the local population. The ITU recognizes that all power is political, and that advancing tenant power requires an explicitly political tenant organization. To create political, material, and cultural change, we organize around shared demands, shape public narratives around housing, engage with local and state governments, do direct tenant support & mutual aid, and conduct protests & direct actions. We focus on Ithaca but welcome tenants in the surrounding area, and do not strictly define our geographic boundaries.
Read our North Star for more information about who we are and what we do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ITU?
The Ithaca Tenants Union is an organization by and for tenants that aims to protect us on the individual, collective, and legal levels. Created at the beginning of the pandemic out of necessity, we've developed a tenant help line, a media team and a database of landlord reviews. We hold a Tenant Issues/Organizing meeting every Tuesday evening to discuss individual tenant issues and broader campaigns around tenant rights, be it organizing an apartment complex or passing legislation. Want to get involved with our network of volunteer tenants? Head to ithacaTU.org/join!
Why does Ithaca need a Tenants Union?
Landlords have had the Tompkins County Landlords Association for decades — it’s a collective of landlords that gets legislation passed, shares information among its members, and helps landlords run background and credit checks on us. Rent in Ithaca has consistently gotten less and less affordable, so an organization that empowers tenants to get our own legislation passed, run background checks on landlords, and see rental price history is long overdue!
What’s required of members?
When you head to ithacaTU.org/join, you’ll be asked for basic information about who your landlord is, what apartment you rent from them, and what they charge you for it. That’s it!
A union is about uniting, so keep in mind that in the same way that your fellow tenants may someday step up to help if you, you may be called upon to help your neighbors! Participation is optional however, and you’ll still have access to all the union’s member resources no matter what.
How much does it cost?
Right now, membership is free, and we haven’t yet set up a way to collect donations (but we’re working on it!). We believe that income should not determine someone’s protections as a renter, so our union is and will remain accessible to those who don’t have money to pay.
What does volunteering involve?
Volunteering can be as simple as just signing up to remain in the loop about tenancy issues, or as involved as leading your own initiative within the ITU. We often need help handling the hotline- this involves standing with tenants against their landlords. It can involve letter writing, helping to organize neighbors, or even directly intervening with landlord harassment. It’s up to you & and we appreciate any and all help we can get! If you have time or energy to give, we’ll make sure to find a way to make it work.