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Our Vision

The Sonoma County Tenants Union (SCTU) has, as its vision, a county where every tenant has the right to a dignified, affordable, habitable living space, where every tenant knows their rights and feels free to assert them.  We are a union of renters, mobile home owners, and allies in Sonoma County who believe in housing justice for all.  We envision a future where housing is community-driven and collectively owned, where private equity and big money interests cannot profit from the housing of low-income and working-class people. We are grounded in the belief that tenant unions are part of a larger, intersectional, collective fight against all systems of oppression.

Our Mission

The mission of the Sonoma County Tenants Union (SCTU) is to build power among tenants within Sonoma County in their challenges within their living situations, moving from individual crisis to collective action.  With the belief that housing is a human right, we develop people power to win lasting change for the renters. SCTU serves to strengthen tenants’ political and social power through education, advocacy, grassroots organizing, and collective action, and organizes to expand renter protections to prevent displacement, eliminate unjust evictions, and promote inclusive communities in Sonoma County.                

 

Values

  • SCTU embraces the values of equality, equity, hope, respect, direct action, courage, racial and economic justice, and self-determination in our work for all people.  

  • We provide a tenant-led forum for people to participate, to strengthen their civic life, and organize on issues directly affecting us, and our communities.

  • We strive to improve the lives of all renters by educating and empowering each other on our rights and responsibilities.

  • We support each other through peer-to-peer mentorship, direct action, mutual aid, shared resources, and other forms of collective organizing. ​ 

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Purpose:

  • We strive to collectively transform current housing rights, practices, policies, and narratives that are rooted in white supremacy and exploitative culture.

  • We elevate the experiences, knowledge, and needs of those most affected by our current systems:  low-income people, people of color, people with disabilities, trans and queer people, undocumented people, and unhoused people.

  • We stive promote an inclusive, safe environment for all those seeking justice from unjust actions by landlords or their agents.

  • We inform, educate, and refer to legal assistance for tenants regarding their rights.

  • We train ourselves as tenants to engage in the public forum and campaign for just and reasonable policies. 

  • We work and build coalition with other organizations that share our values and interests in advancing renters’ rights.

 

Procedures

  • SCTU holds monthly meetings to create effective people power in support of tenants.

  • At monthly meetings, members collaborate on shared goals, analyze power and the current conditions, train each other in community organizing, and develop strategies to win. 

  • We develop strategies to respond to the violation of our rights.  These strategies include organizing principles, such as canvassing, power mapping, and base building, research as indicated, and referral to legal resources.

  • SCTU monthly meetings provide learning opportunities for all attending.

  • SCTU organizes translocal delegations to learn from other communities engaged in developing the power of working-class people in basebuilding strategies. 

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