Principles of Unity

Principles of Unity

Principle #1: Autonomous and collective leadership from working-class tenants

Madison Tenant Power (founded in 2019) is a tenant union formed by and for tenants to defend and agitate for our collective interests. “Tenant” defines anyone who is not in control of their own housing, including renters, children, mortgage-payers, the houseless, and the incarcerated.

This is a member-run collective. We are a people-powered organization. Madison Tenant Power represents the democratic will of our membership. We have no paid staff or board of directors. We are not service providers, but are all tenants united to support ourselves and each other. All tenants are welcome to join our membership. 

Principle #2: Tenants must organize as a class to abolish landlords

Housing should be a human right, but now it operates as a commodity. Landlords’ goal of keeping their investment profitable shapes their incentive to exploit tenants, but that’s also the main point of leverage which tenants can use to fight back collectively against exploitation.

Under capitalism, the interests of tenants and landlords are irreconcilable. Tenants’ access to housing is held hostage by landlords, whose control over housing is backed by the state, enshrined by lawmakers, and enforced by police. Only the power of a united and self-organized collective of tenants can bring lasting improvements in our dignity and quality of life by dismantling the landlord class. 

Principle #3: Organization and self-determination as strategy and goal

Madison Tenant Power fights for safe, fair, and affordable living conditions in Madison through building-level organizing, outreach, agitation, and mutual self-education.

The long-term goal of this collective of tenants is the construction of an enduring and militant institution of tenant power in Madison, Wisconsin, by agitating for heightened solidarity among the renting and working class. Our ultimate goal is community control over our own homes, making landlordism obsolete. 

Principle #4: Neighborly relationships and environments build tenant power

We value stability, safety, privacy, comfort, respect, accessibility, and dignity as tenants and as workers. We strive to model these virtues in Madison Tenant Power meetings, events, and processes. 

We talk to and listen to our neighbors; we give all tenants the opportunity to speak for themselves. We use the power of our emotional relationships to build networks of support that landlords cannot replicate or break. We create varied spaces to forge community and connection.

Principle #5: The tenant struggle is intersectional and ongoing

We assume good intentions. We respect our differences and recognize our common struggle. We also recognize that the perspectives of tenants most impacted by housing injustice—including elder, poor, black, brown, disabled, women, children, trans, queer, incarcerated, and unemployed neighbors—must be centered in our movement for our collective vision to succeed. This includes being mindful of childcare, transportation, language justice, work schedules, racism, sexism, and other barriers and factors.

Together, we will leave the world a better place for those who come after us. We honor our commitments and respect each others’ time, while also respecting our differing capacities and capabilities. Nobody knows everything. Together, we know a lot.