Tenants & Neigbors

The mission of Tenants & Neighbors is: "To build a unified and powerful statewide organization that empowers and educates tenants; preserves affordable housing and livable neighborhoods; and strengthens tenant protections."

Throughout New York State the forces of development and gentrification are displacing low and moderate income people from their homes, changing the face of communities, and eroding tenants' rights. Tenants & Neighbors is fighting back by building a strong grassroots movement of tenants who are educated, empowered, and are actively working to preserve our affordable housing stock and to defend and expand tenants' rights.

Our work is based on the belief that all people have a right to decent, adequate shelter. We also believe that there is inherent value in economic and racial diversity, and that if this diversity is lost, it will be to the detriment of our communities.

Tenants & Neighbors works at both the individual building level and at the system level. When we learn that a building is at risk of being converted to market rate housing, we help the tenants in the building form a tenant association. We then provide the tenant association with the organizing support, leadership development, training, technical assistance, and advocacy they need in order to be able to keep their building affordable. We also educate tenants about the systems that are facilitating the loss of affordable housing, and help them develop campaigns to effect change at the policy and legislative level.