It’s been decades since this country has had anything like a tenants' movement. If you’re young enough you might not even be familiar with the phrase. But today a movement is forming to fight for policies that preserve and create affordable housing. Last week, renters and their advocates coordinated more than 50 political actions in 45 states as part of national renters' week of action. In the Bay Area, Alameda hosted a weekend-long, statewide gathering of over 400 California tenants and organizers in the movement.
"[The gathering in Alameda] was one of the biggest actions anywhere in the country, it was state-wide, around 400 people, and what they focussed on was strengthening rent control."