(Re)building a Tenant Movement in Hawaiʻi

Abstract

Hawaii’s low-income and working-class families are struggling. A landlord discriminating against a single mother for receiving vouchers. A Chuukese family targeted by their landlord with bogus move-out fees. A young mother who has to heat water on the stove for her newborn’s bath because there hasn’t been hot water all week. 130 families evicted from their homes to build so-called "affordable housing" that none of them can afford. Alone these individuals have little to no recourse in the face of the overwhelming power that landlords wield. However, together neighbors can rally in support of one another. Together we can fight to keep families in their homes. Organized into tenant associations communities can put the pressure on landlords to make repairs, stop rent hikes, and fight for fair treatment. The Honolulu Tenants Union seeks to build an organized movement of tenants from across Hawaiʻi connecting the struggles of tenants everywhere. By connecting our struggles we can fight for broader systemic change and put power back in the hands of everyday people.