Campaigns
2 Thayer Street
The 2 Thayer Street Tenant Association was launched with the purpose of building tenant and community power around issues such as landlord negligence, civic participation, and gentrification. This campaign was led mostly by immigrant women who saw organizing as the strongest tool through which they could keep their neighborhood safe.
Members went through organizing trainings, including Gender Equity and Women’s Leadership sessions. Their training applied to the meetings they held in the building, which is a crucial component of the organizing process. They engaged in civic participation by contacting both their elected officials, such as Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City Council member, District 10, and their community board.
The hard work paid off. Victories of the campaign include: The 2 Thayer Street Tenant Association brought their issues to the public through mass media, organizing, and direct action; the Association’s members got the director of the housing department to come to the building, where he discovered hundreds of violations; and through active engagement with the community and their elected officials, the Association’s members and supporters pushed the landlord to spend more than $100,000 on repairs.