Honoring the historic North Philadelphia Tenants Union, City-Wide Tenants Union, East Broad Street Tenants Union, and Northwest Tenants Organization, which were critical in the fight for basic tenants' rights and protections in the City of Philadelphia and whose work continues to inspire local activists and community leaders today.

WHEREAS, The tenant rights movement gained initial prominence during the late 1960s and achieved initial success in achieving material gains for working-class Philadelphians during the Tate Administration; and

WHEREAS, By the early 1970’s, tenant organizers founded a separate organization, the Tenants Information Service, to provide information to tenants citywide on how they can vindicate their rights; and

WHEREAS, These organizations advocated for innovative measures such as rent stabilization, inspections of dangerous buildings, remedial repairs of rental units, and a Tenants’ Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, A component of the Tenants’ Bill of Rights, protections for women and children against housing discrimination, was enshrined into law in 1980; and

WHEREAS, The rich legacy of tenant organizing in Philadelphia continues today, exemplified by the ongoing work to protect and defend the most vulnerable tenants from displacement and unsafe living conditions; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors the historic North Philadelphia Tenants Union, City-Wide Tenants Union, East Broad Street Tenants Union, Northwest Tenants Organization, which were critical in the fight for basic tenants’ rights and protections in the City of Philadelphia and whose work continues to inspire local activists and community leaders today.

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