Support the Tenants Union!
Washington State tenants have won important legal protections, but these rights don't go far enough. Members help build the movement to protect and expand tenants rights and make the promise of safe, healthy, affordable housing a reality.
Tenants Union Membership
The Tenants Union builds power in the movement for tenants’ rights and housing justice.
Become a member of the Tenants Union
Membership dues at the Tenants Union are on a sliding scale based on income, but we encourage you to give the amount that is meaningful to you and to give generously to keep the TU going strong! The general guideline for membership dues is $1 for every $1,000 of annual household income. For example, if your household makes $20,000 a year, the annual membership dues would be $20.
Access to housing, affordability, safe and healthy living conditions, eviction prevention and the power to assert our rights are only the beginning. Tenants need information about their rights and how to use them, stronger protections, and meaningful ways to enforce the law. With a proud 35-year history of work for housing justice through education and organizing, the TU is uniquely well-suited to respond to the challenges renters face in Washington State. Members are the heart and strength of the TU’s work. Join today!
Tenants Union Members:
- Build power in numbers and a movement for tenants’ rights across the state
- Grow the organization and our collective ability to do effective work
- Secure the TU’s long-term stability
- Strengthen TU’s influence with policy makers
- Shape the direction of the work based on the most emergent issues impacting Washington State renters
Join the TU online or by calling the Membership & Development Coordinator at (206) 722-6848 × 102.
All donations to the Tenants Union are tax deductible. The Tenants Union of Washington State is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, Tax ID # 91-0967863.
Join the Tenants Union if:
- You believe that every renter deserves safe, affordable housing free from discrimination, retaliation and eviction threats. Members are people who share the Tenants Union’s values and vision for housing justice and are willing to make an annual donation to support the work.
- You got help through the Tenants Union’s Education Program or website. The TU is a small but extraordinarily powerful organization that provides Education Program services to over 1,400 Washington State renters a year. We’re able to offer these services for free across the state because of the financial support of tenants like you.
You can become a member, renew your membership, or make a donation to the Tenants Union in three ways:
1) Online through the Network for Good website.
2) Over the Phone by calling us at (206) 722-6848 × 102.
3) By Mail by filling out the Membership Donation Form, or writing your Name, Address, Phone, Email and sending with your Membership Dues to:
“The TU is a powerful political voice for renters.”
– City Councilmember Nick Licata
“I just think what you’re doing is so valuable. I don’t know what I would have done [if the illegal eviction hadn’t been stopped]. It’s not like people can just walk away from needing shelter. I’ve had so many lucky things happen…and the first lucky thing was that I went to the Tenants Union for help.”
– Mary Czerniski, Tenants Union Member
The TU has won significant victories for tenants’ rights in the last 35 years. Below is a partial list of victories TU tenant leaders and members have won. See TU History for a more comprehensive list of Tenants Union work through the last 35 years.
Legislative Advocacy
It’s about Fair Treatment
- Over one third of Washington State residents are renters. Seattle is home to over 500,000 tenants.
- There are no mechanisms for the enforcement of landlord-tenant laws, and landlords are not licensed or regulated in any way. Landlord-tenant laws in Washington State are considered “self-help.”
- Tenants who assert their rights often face retaliation in the form of eviction. Landlord-tenant laws are outdated, difficult to understand, and weighted towards landlords.
The TU serves mostly low income renters, and we want membership to be affordable to everyone. Membership dues at the Tenants Union are on a sliding scale based on income, but we encourage you to give the amount that is meaningful to you and to give generously to keep the TU going strong!
The general guideline for membership dues is $1 for every $1,000 of annual household income. For example, if your household makes $20,000 a year, the annual membership dues would be $20.
As a grassroots membership-based organization, the Tenants Union is made stronger by volunteers and active members who contribute time and skills to build power for housing justice.
Ways to Get Involved as a Volunteer
In the Office
We are looking for regular office volunteers, as well as people who can come into the office to help with one-time events.
- Help out at mailing parties to send off our quarterly Newsletters and other mailings
- Help us stock our tenant rights materials
- Help us with periodic office projects, such as data-entry and filing (it’s important for us to stay organized so we can organize for housing justice!)
In the Streets
- Help with doorknocking in our campaigns
- Come to mobilizations to show your support for tenant rights
- Tell your story to advocate for better laws to protect tenants and to fund tenant services and housing
Hotline Volunteers, 2012. We need a new picture, come join us!
To volunteer, contact the Membership & Development Coordinator at (206) 722-6848 Ext. 102 or [email protected] and let us know you’d like to volunteer.
You’ll have a conversation with the Membership & Development Coordinator or another staff member about your interests & talents, and we’ll connect you with meaningful volunteering at the TU.
