Tara Raghuveer

Terrorized By ICE, Unable to Pay Rent, Minnesotans Are Getting Ready for a Rent Strike A tenant organizing push in the Twin Cities has support from labor unions representing more than 25,000 workers.

The largest rent strike in a century?

The Minnesota unions behind the massive Jan. 23 day of action are now backing a potential rent strike to demand an eviction moratorium. At least 10K could withhold rent starting March 1. Here's what to know (1/6) inthesetimes.com/article/ice-...

Eric, I know you're in touch with many of the organizations behind this. I am confident that your expertise about the risks will be very welcome and can be integrated into the FAQ (which does exist in Spanish and Soomaali and will soon exist in Hmong, Arabic, and more). IX is reaching out. Thanks!

MAJOR: Twin Cities Tenants joins five labor unions, together repping 25,900 members, to launch a rent strike drive, vowing to withhold rent March 1 if @governorwalz.mn.gov fails to deliver an eviction moratorium and rent relief. If launched, this would be the largest US rent strike in 100+ years.

This is the second rent strike win from KC Tenants in one year. Independence Towers sent precedent: poor tenants can organize, strike, win. Bowen Tower followed suit: they organized, they went on strike, and they won.

Tenants are using our ultimate power: our rent. More of this, everywhere, soon.

Since October, Bowen Tower tenants have withheld over $110,000. The Bowen Tower Tenant Union has agreed to repay 35% of the rent tenants withheld during the strike, excluding what has already been settled in eviction court, and excluding legal fees.

The negotiated rent and utility rates will reduce tenants’ monthly obligation by $90-$150 compared to current levels. Rent/utilities will be frozen for two years. During the strike, tenants won $45,758 in rent debt cancellation in court.

The tenants won two-year leases, rent reductions, good cause eviction protections, and a schedule for major repairs by March 2026. All current evictions against strikers will be dismissed, and all lease non-renewals against strikers will be rescinded.

RENT STRIKE WIN

Yesterday, four months into their rent strike– the first in Raytown, MO history– Bowen Tower Tenant Union signed an agreement with their landlord. The agreement satisfies key demands and allows the union to de-escalate the strike by Feb 1.

Will have more resources to share on property-level tenant union organizing in this moment soon ❤️‍🔥

IF NO ORG EXISTS: Build some form of organization, in your building/on your block/in your kid’s school/at work/at the gym/etc. Get contact info, start a chat, test an initial activity (ie flyering the neighborhood w rights/hotline info). Start small, build at the speed of trust.

HOW TO SHOW UP: Make a commitment and be consistent. Don’t over-promise, don’t flake, don’t burn yourself out. Be disciplined, accept feedback, don’t put others in danger. It’s not about you… and don’t erase yourself. Present ideas, organize around them, call shots, try shit.

This is not the time to be overly precious about finding your forever political home. Identify or build a group that’s good enough and take a role. Plug into what exists rather than duplicating.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Clear strategy (aka goals and a plan), structure that’s pretty easy to figure out if you’re new, ways to plug in quickly, a commitment to evaluate everything. In moments like this, prioritize maximum collaboration, low ego, high impact…

It’s also a time to expand these connections to share risk, by organizing those who have a lot at stake and people with less at stake, together. The second group can take on risk for the first (ie parents forming carpools w kids of immigrants so their parents can limit exposure)

Join an organization.

WHY: We all need localized protection, a crew of people we know, who can support with day-to-day things like rides, groceries, etc., and who can activate for more as needed. Many ppl live life like this already, now is a good time to deepen/formalize…

How a landlord responded when tenants formed a union, stopped paying rent In Kansas City, Missouri, where housing costs are rising at twice the national average, a successful rent strike at one building inspired another across town in what is poised to become a national mov...

On Jan 1 tenants in Raytown, MO will enter their fourth month on rent strike, the third strike in the KC area in a year, and a signal of a national trend as tenants begin exercising our ultimate power: our rent.

Today in the @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

On Monday we rallied at the CRG HQ in Spring Valley, NY and encountered a violent attack (one of CRG's reps was arrested after assaulting tenants). They're spending time/money- and sustaining major reputational hits- to stop the organizing.

The tenant union poses an existential threat.

CRG's response signals what we can expect as our organizing threatens more/bigger landlords. It would be easy for CRG to bargain with tenants (CEO Moshe Eichler was there in Aug), but as the union grows, they're spooked, resorting to paid counter-protestors and legit attacks...

As Tenants Organize, Landlords Embrace Old-School Union-Busting Tenant union members say they’ve faced threats, surveillance and retaliation from their private equity landlord, which has retained a notorious “union avoidance” firm.

Since Aug the Tenant Union Federation has organized 9 unions in 6 states, repping 1500+ tenants Capital Realty Group properties. This is the most significant portfolio organizing ever. CRG has responded by ripping pages out of the labor union-busting playbook...
inthesetimes.com/article/tena...

Rent is due tomorrow. The rent is too damn high. Meanwhile the Trump admin seeks to cut millions off from housing support. This is not only cruel but also politically stupid and will guarantee unseen levels of homelessness. And now a political meltdown on hud.gov...

A top real estate industry newsletter this morning: "This campaign [by the Tenant Union Federation, to organize tenants across the Capital Realty Group portfolio] could reshape tenant power in the era of corporate landlords." www.credaily.com/newsletters/...

In Bisnow today: “Mr. Eichler and Capital Realty Group have the opportunity to do the right thing, which is in the interest of all involved parties: return to the bargaining table and sign an agreement with the unions. As of now, they are failing to do so."
archive.ph/AYHiE#select...

Tenants Seek to Unionize One Private Equity Firm's Entire Housing Portfolio By organizing renters across Capital Realty Group’s affordable housing complexes, the Tenant Union Federation hopes to bring sectoral bargaining to negotiations with large landlords.

In the last six weeks, the Tenant Union Federation launched seven (7) majority tenant unions, across five (5) states, representing 1000 units of housing owned by Capital Realty Group, a New York-based corporate landlord. The first portfolio organizing of its kind...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Big takeaway: Risk. Mamdani’s win was so decisive that it can now seem preordained. But as recently as six mos ago he was unknown and rent, as a political matter, was third rail. Tenants and Mamdani took a bet on each other. Mega thanks @caaavnyc.bsky.social, @tenantbloc.bsky.social for their time

How New York’s Tenants Won | Tara Raghuveer The night before the New York City municipal primary, the air was sticky with heat and Ferdousi Begum was too tense to sleep. For the past six months,

To understand how @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social won the mayoral primary by a full 12 points last month, it helps to understand how tenants like Ferdousi Begum and Parveg Hasan decided to go on the offensive against real estate.

My first for @nybooks.com, learned tons! www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...

One of the most brutal days in American history, on the brink of 17M losing Medicaid, 3.2M losing SNAP, massive wealth transfer to billionaires, 20x expansion of ICE.

But the National Apartment Association (landlord lobby) celebrates this cruel bill as a "95% win for the housing industry."

Consumer Price Index Summary - 2025 M02 Results

Trump's economy is chaos, inflation is up, rent inflation is up, shelter is (still) the biggest overall contributor to overall inflation, the rent is (still) too damn high. Without a plan to bring down the cost of rent, Trump is cooked: www.bls.gov/news.release...

Ann Coulter has a statement on Mahmoud Khalil’s unconstitutional detention before Schumer, Pelosi…

Not typing this to be an asshole, just really hope this changes soon and that we see a full throated and relentless defense of free speech and demand for his freedom

One of the best things to happen to me in the last 5 years was meeting @taraghuveer.bsky.social, and then @ruthygourevitch.bsky.social. They are geniuses. And now they're working together! Read them!

I've been working on both housing + climate issues since 2011; these two will change the world.

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 adore you both. Thank you Daniel ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥