1. Who are we?

   We are tenants of Astoria, Queens! We have a housing crisis. Rent is too high and living conditions are routinely poor. In 2023 we began organizing our housing to build power as working class tenants against landlords and developers! As tenants, we need to assert our rights. That’s why Astoria neighbors are organizing their buildings to demand repairs and protect rent regulation. ATU is a tenant-created, tenant-led Tenant Union where organized tenants help their neighbors organize. When we’re connected as tenants, we can empower one another through collective action to improve our living conditions.

2. Why organize our housing?

Tenants in Astoria face housing problems like unsafe living conditions, evictions, landlord harassment and retaliation, and attempts to undermine rent stabilization. To really combat these problems tenants must organize with their building neighbors to demand solutions from landlords! ATU is our network of organized Astoria buildings, and our tenants help other Astoria neighbors organize their housing!

3. what is an organized building?

An organized building is one where most or all the tenants know each other, know the problems with their units, and take action to solve those problems. As a collective group the tenants increase their power when approaching a landlord to solve a problem. An organized building can be as simple as starting a building group chat!

4. What’s next?

We want you and your neighbors to organize! ATU can help. We are your neighbors and likely experience similar living conditions as you. If you can’t get repairs, if you’re living in unsafe conditions, if you’re harassed, or if your rent is being raised illegally, these are just some of the problems we experience as renters on a daily basis. Contact us. We can help! We also welcome tenants to volunteer for our ongoing projects. We host events, develop housing resources, plan canvasses and tenants’ rights trainings, and host monthly meetings to retake control of our homes.