rise of the
RENTER
NATION
SOLUTIONS TO
THE HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY
CRISIS
JUNE 2014
a r e p or t by t he home s f or aWWW.HOMESFORALL.ORG
l l c a mpa ign of r igh t t o t he ci t y a l l i a nc e 1
,THE RIGHT TO THE CITY
ALLIANCE
The Right To The City Alliance seeks to create regional and
national impacts in housing, human rights, urban land,
community development, civic engagement, criminal justice,
immigrant rights and environmental justice. Right To The City
was born out of a desire by members, organizers and allies
around the country to have a stronger movement for urban
justice. The Right to the City Alliance asserts that everyone —
particularly the disenfranchised — not only has a right to the
city, but as inhabitants, have a right to shape it, design it, and
operationalize an urban human rights agenda.
www.righttothecity.org
HOMES FOR ALL TONY ROSHAN SAMARA, the principal writer of
CAMPAIGN this report, is Senior Program Director for Land Use
This report was written as part of Homes For All, a national and Housing at Urban Habitat (urbanhabitat.org)
campaign that is broadening the conversation of the housing in Oakland, CA. He works on regional development
crisis beyond foreclosure and putting forth a comprehensive campaigns addressing affordable housing,
housing agenda that also speaks to issues affecting public
gentrification, and displacement from a social justice
housing residents, homeless families, and the growing number
of renters in American cities. The growing influence of Wall perspective. Tony also has extensive experience as a
Street firms and Big Banks, as well as the rise of the corporate researcher, with a focus on the politics of development
landlord in the single-family market, is central to understanding
and the marginalization of low-income communities.
the housing crisis renters face today.
He has conducted research in South Africa, China,
Homes For All works to protect, defend, and expand housing and India, in addition to the United States, and writes
that is truly affordable and dignified for low-income and regularly for academic, policy, and general audiences.
very low-income communities. The campaign engages those
Since 2007 he has worked with the Right To The City
most directly impacted by this crisis through local and national
organizing, winning strong policies that protect renters and Alliance as a resource ally, and currently serves on
homeowners, and shifting the national debate on housing. the Alliance’s national steering committee. Tony has
Right To The City is working collaboratively across sectors
a PHD in Sociology from the University of California,
to develop national housing policy that ensures that our
communities and future generations have homes that are truly Santa Barbara and an M.A. from the City University of
affordable, stable, and dignified. Homes For All has grown to New York. He runs the Cities and Globalization Twitter
include 25 grassroots community organizations in 19 cities and account at https://twitter.com/CGWG2 and most of his
14 states across the country. The National Low Income Housing
publications are available at http://independent.academia.
Coalition is a campaign partner.
edu/TonyRoshanSamara
www.homesforall.org
2 RISE OF A RENTER NATION
,ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report was principally authored by Tony Roshan Samara Kendra Froshman, Mission SRO Collaborative
with the collective efforts of members and staff of the Homes
Favian Gonzalez, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy
For All (HFA) campaign and Right To The City Alliance (RTC).
We would like to thank everyone who provided feedback Isela Gracian, East LA Community Corporation
on the drafts and to those who shared their stories and Kendall Jackman, RTC Alliance individual member
experiences.
Lydia Lowe, Chinese Progressive Association, Boston
Yasmeen Perez, RTC Development Director
SUPPORT WRITERS
Dawn Phillips, Causa Justa::Just Cause
Marnie Brady, PhD candidate in Sociology,
Graduate Center, City University of New York Tomás Rivera, Chainbreaker Collective
James Defilippis, Associate Professor, School of Kevin Stein, California Reinvestment Coalition
Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University Alexandra Suh, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
Desiree Fields, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies at Mark Swier, Operations Manager, RTC Alliance
Queens College of the City University of New York
Gilda Haas, Professor of Urban Planning
at Antioch College in Los Angeles COPY EDIT AND DESIGN
Rachel Laforest, Executive Director, RTC Alliance Rise of The Renter Nation Design: Joshua Barndt, Sabrina
Tony Romano, Organizing Director, RTC Alliance Dorsainvil
Copy Edit: Suzy Subways, Corina Beth Delman
Chart and Graphics Design: Joshua Barndt, Sabrina Dorsainvil
REVIEWERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Chart and Graphics Creation: Sarah Heck, PhD student in
Rehanna Azimi, RTC Intern
Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University; Gilda Haas,
Michaelann Bewsee, Arise for Social Justice Professor of Urban Planning at Antioch College in Los Angeles
Trenise Bryant, Miami Workers Center Data Collection: Michael Synan, M.A., CUNY Hunter College
Rob Call, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta Art Direction/Support: Lenina Nadal, Communications
Anj Chaudhry, CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities Director, RTC Alliance, Joshua Barndt, Sabrina Dorsainvil
Karen Chen, Chinese Progressive Association Boston Please send comments and questions to: .
To purchase this report in hardcopy format visit:
Malcolm Chu, Springfield No One Leaves www.homesforall.org
Robbie Clark, Causa Justa::Just Cause
This report was made possible through the generous support
Marisol Cortez, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
of RTC’s funders, including The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Jessie
Mike Dennis, East LA Community Corporation Smith Noyes Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, and
LeConté J. Dill, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, The Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock,
SUNY Downstate Medical Center as well as the support of individual donors and RTC member
organizations.
Luis Flores, Jr., Causa Justa::Just Cause
WWW.HOMESFORALL.ORG 3
, 4 RISE OF THE RENTER NATION
RENTER
NATION
SOLUTIONS TO
THE HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY
CRISIS
JUNE 2014
a r e p or t by t he home s f or aWWW.HOMESFORALL.ORG
l l c a mpa ign of r igh t t o t he ci t y a l l i a nc e 1
,THE RIGHT TO THE CITY
ALLIANCE
The Right To The City Alliance seeks to create regional and
national impacts in housing, human rights, urban land,
community development, civic engagement, criminal justice,
immigrant rights and environmental justice. Right To The City
was born out of a desire by members, organizers and allies
around the country to have a stronger movement for urban
justice. The Right to the City Alliance asserts that everyone —
particularly the disenfranchised — not only has a right to the
city, but as inhabitants, have a right to shape it, design it, and
operationalize an urban human rights agenda.
www.righttothecity.org
HOMES FOR ALL TONY ROSHAN SAMARA, the principal writer of
CAMPAIGN this report, is Senior Program Director for Land Use
This report was written as part of Homes For All, a national and Housing at Urban Habitat (urbanhabitat.org)
campaign that is broadening the conversation of the housing in Oakland, CA. He works on regional development
crisis beyond foreclosure and putting forth a comprehensive campaigns addressing affordable housing,
housing agenda that also speaks to issues affecting public
gentrification, and displacement from a social justice
housing residents, homeless families, and the growing number
of renters in American cities. The growing influence of Wall perspective. Tony also has extensive experience as a
Street firms and Big Banks, as well as the rise of the corporate researcher, with a focus on the politics of development
landlord in the single-family market, is central to understanding
and the marginalization of low-income communities.
the housing crisis renters face today.
He has conducted research in South Africa, China,
Homes For All works to protect, defend, and expand housing and India, in addition to the United States, and writes
that is truly affordable and dignified for low-income and regularly for academic, policy, and general audiences.
very low-income communities. The campaign engages those
Since 2007 he has worked with the Right To The City
most directly impacted by this crisis through local and national
organizing, winning strong policies that protect renters and Alliance as a resource ally, and currently serves on
homeowners, and shifting the national debate on housing. the Alliance’s national steering committee. Tony has
Right To The City is working collaboratively across sectors
a PHD in Sociology from the University of California,
to develop national housing policy that ensures that our
communities and future generations have homes that are truly Santa Barbara and an M.A. from the City University of
affordable, stable, and dignified. Homes For All has grown to New York. He runs the Cities and Globalization Twitter
include 25 grassroots community organizations in 19 cities and account at https://twitter.com/CGWG2 and most of his
14 states across the country. The National Low Income Housing
publications are available at http://independent.academia.
Coalition is a campaign partner.
edu/TonyRoshanSamara
www.homesforall.org
2 RISE OF A RENTER NATION
,ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report was principally authored by Tony Roshan Samara Kendra Froshman, Mission SRO Collaborative
with the collective efforts of members and staff of the Homes
Favian Gonzalez, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy
For All (HFA) campaign and Right To The City Alliance (RTC).
We would like to thank everyone who provided feedback Isela Gracian, East LA Community Corporation
on the drafts and to those who shared their stories and Kendall Jackman, RTC Alliance individual member
experiences.
Lydia Lowe, Chinese Progressive Association, Boston
Yasmeen Perez, RTC Development Director
SUPPORT WRITERS
Dawn Phillips, Causa Justa::Just Cause
Marnie Brady, PhD candidate in Sociology,
Graduate Center, City University of New York Tomás Rivera, Chainbreaker Collective
James Defilippis, Associate Professor, School of Kevin Stein, California Reinvestment Coalition
Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University Alexandra Suh, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
Desiree Fields, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies at Mark Swier, Operations Manager, RTC Alliance
Queens College of the City University of New York
Gilda Haas, Professor of Urban Planning
at Antioch College in Los Angeles COPY EDIT AND DESIGN
Rachel Laforest, Executive Director, RTC Alliance Rise of The Renter Nation Design: Joshua Barndt, Sabrina
Tony Romano, Organizing Director, RTC Alliance Dorsainvil
Copy Edit: Suzy Subways, Corina Beth Delman
Chart and Graphics Design: Joshua Barndt, Sabrina Dorsainvil
REVIEWERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Chart and Graphics Creation: Sarah Heck, PhD student in
Rehanna Azimi, RTC Intern
Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University; Gilda Haas,
Michaelann Bewsee, Arise for Social Justice Professor of Urban Planning at Antioch College in Los Angeles
Trenise Bryant, Miami Workers Center Data Collection: Michael Synan, M.A., CUNY Hunter College
Rob Call, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta Art Direction/Support: Lenina Nadal, Communications
Anj Chaudhry, CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities Director, RTC Alliance, Joshua Barndt, Sabrina Dorsainvil
Karen Chen, Chinese Progressive Association Boston Please send comments and questions to: .
To purchase this report in hardcopy format visit:
Malcolm Chu, Springfield No One Leaves www.homesforall.org
Robbie Clark, Causa Justa::Just Cause
This report was made possible through the generous support
Marisol Cortez, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
of RTC’s funders, including The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Jessie
Mike Dennis, East LA Community Corporation Smith Noyes Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, and
LeConté J. Dill, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, The Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock,
SUNY Downstate Medical Center as well as the support of individual donors and RTC member
organizations.
Luis Flores, Jr., Causa Justa::Just Cause
WWW.HOMESFORALL.ORG 3
, 4 RISE OF THE RENTER NATION
