Groundwork Project
Tenant Organizing Support in OK
Help tenants fighting unjust conditions in Oklahoma
Posted September 6, 2023
Background & Context
Our grantee's tenant organizing project is in a 100-unit apartment complex in Norman, OK, owned by a person with over 60 properties in the state. Tenants have already met and discussed multiple complaints about the complex, and a steering committee has been established.
We are currently in the early stages of organizing, and we’d ideally like to work with attorneys to help tenants understand their rights as well as the risks associated with organizing. Should the property manager or owner attempt to punish or seek retribution against tenant organizers, we want to have plans in place we can share with them, but need to discuss options with an attorney so we can best understand the realities of how fighting against retribution works.
Immediate Problem
Along with an understanding of risks and retribution preparation, one of our first actions will be to demand carbon monoxide detectors, which we know are required by HUD. It would be helpful to know what options we have to force them into compliance.
Work & Deliverables
Groundwork Project supports hyperlocal organizers in places traditionally under-resourced and ignored. We have a growing cohort of grantees across the Plains, the Deep South & Appalachia who are organizing around everything from climate action to voting rights and racial justice.
This project is in support of a Groundwork Grantee from Oklahoma, who is seeking guidance on a tenant's rights fight they are pursuing in the City of Norman.
Preparation Phase
- Background call with Groundwork Grantee to learn about project and provide initial guidance
Collaboration Phase
- Provide guidance as Groundwork Grantee launches organizing effort
Wrap Up
Groundwork Project
Founded by former Congressman Joe Kennedy, we support community organizers, advocates, and activists across the country working year-round to build a just, free, and equitable future for all. We invest in hyperlocal efforts that build sustainable political infrastructure, engage and educate voters, and build power for the underrepresented and disenfranchised. With a focus on Appalachia, the Plains & the Deep South, we help direct resources to regions of the country historically overlooked and ignored by progressive organizations.
Groundwork Project
Founded by former Congressman Joe Kennedy, we support community organizers, advocates, and activists across the country working year-round to build a just, free, and equitable future for all. We invest in hyperlocal efforts that build sustainable political infrastructure, engage and educate voters, and build power for the underrepresented and disenfranchised. With a focus on Appalachia, the Plains & the Deep South, we help direct resources to regions of the country historically overlooked and ignored by progressive organizations.