Community Member Profile: Asheville Area Tenant Union

“No Rent for Slumlords!” by John Barwick

This is the battlecry of the Asheville Area Tenants Union (AATU), a grassroots organizing effort to hold landlords and city officials accountable for the health and wellbeing of the Asheville renter community. Any local knows that stories of shitty landlords are a dime a dozen, sub-standard living conditions are a hallmark of affordable housing in the Asheville area, and affordable housing is getting more difficult to find every day. Bedbugs, black mold, and broken plumbing are just a few of the most common health hazards faced by Ashevillians looking for an affordable place to live. Complaints raised to shady landlords are often ignored and sometimes lead to threats of eviction.

The Tenants Union says this needs to change. Their plan? Draft a new city ordinance that puts into writing “no rent for slumlords.” This ordinance, still being hashed out by AATU committee members at the time of writing, would make it a misdemeanor for landlords to collect rent on properties that do not meet the living standards laid out in the city’s Minimum Housing Code. Landlords violating the ordinance would be subject to heavy fines, and would even face losing ownership over their properties if enough Code violations go unaddressed. This ordinance will also expand the regulations already on the book. One major issue raised by the Tenants Union is the fact that there is no mention of mold anywhere in the Minimum Housing Code. The Union also raises concerns about lack of follow through by city officials after renters file complaints over unsafe housing conditions.

The AATU seeks to bring together the city’s renters into an active network of support and solidarity that calls bullshit on the status quo of Asheville’s housing market by working together to stand up for each other's rights. Experiencing issues with housing is often an isolating experience. Renters are forced to take on a system rigged against them when they choose to stand up against a bad landlord. But no one has to do it alone. Want to join the Union and fight for the rights of you and your neighbors?

Check out their instagram @avlareatenantsunion for information on the next general meeting! They are held monthly at Trinity Unity Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road. They have free dinner, and they want YOU to have safe, secure, and healthy housing.