As 海角换妻 tenants face skyrocketing rents and an uptick in no-fault evictions, some renters in large apartment complexes are unionizing in hopes of demanding change. And now tenant unions in New Haven could be some of the first in 海角换妻 to be recognized by their local government.
Quinnipiac Gardens Tenant Union, which formed last summer, is leading a push to ask the city to formally recognize tenant unions and give them a role in investigations through the city鈥檚 Fair Rent Commission. Fair rent commissions, local boards that are slowly expanding across 海角换妻, could help tenants dispute rent increases in an area where renters usually have two options 鈥� bargain with the landlord or leave.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important because there is no rent control here in 海角换妻. Landlords raise the rents, don鈥檛 fix and nothing gets done. But if we all work together, we can accomplish a lot of things,鈥� said Enid Mendez, a tenant union member at Quinnipiac Gardens.
Mendez moved to 海角换妻 from New York about five years ago to get away from the rush. She never imagined the move would lead to joining a tenant union.
鈥淚 knew about them in New York, but I never heard of it in 海角换妻. So when they [organizers] came by, I was curious,鈥� Mendez said.
While her two-bedroom unit was in relatively good condition, she heard more and more from her neighbors in the complex and soon realized how much they could use her support. She recalls tenants citing problems with lighting, roads, paint chipping, mold and more.
She said joining the union has given her a better sense of tenant protections in the state, but there鈥檚 still a long way to go. And that鈥檚 where recognition from the city comes in.
The union to the city last year, and earlier in June, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker introduced an ordinance that would formally allow tenants to use their collective power as a union. The would define tenant unions, give them a role in the Fair Rent Commission process and expand the list of factors the commission should consider when evaluating rent increases.
鈥淵our average person does not understand how to navigate these bureaucracies or what kind of information they need to know going in to make their case,鈥� said Luke Melonakos-Harrison, an organizer who helped the union for at Quinnipiac Gardens. He鈥檚 with the .
Tenants who want to dispute a rent increase must file a complaint with their Fair Rent Commission office, cooperate with the investigation, attend a preliminary hearing and potentially attend a public hearing before the board, according to the New Haven Fair Rent Commission鈥檚 .
鈥淪o a big part of what the tenant unions found helpful and necessary was to give neighbors the opportunity to kind of advocate for each other, help walk each other through those bureaucratic systems and also present evidence collectively,鈥� Melonakos-Harrison said.
While tenants would still have to file complaints individually, a tenant union representative could help them through the process. And tenant union members can testify on one another鈥檚 behalf.
Melonakos-Harrison says the push was inspired by labor unions forming across the country, including at big-name companies like Starbucks and Amazon.
鈥淎 long-term goal is absolutely to have mechanisms for tenants and landlords to engage in collective bargaining. So the idea of giving the tenant unions the ability to sort of collectively engage with the Fair Rent Commission is a start,鈥� he said.
But for now, the short-term goal is to help tenants understand what resources they have and how best to use them. The proposed ordinance must still be vote on by the New Haven Board of Alders.
