Language Justice for Citywide Tenant Assembly- Support New York City’s Tenant Movement
Adopted July 14, 2026 by the Joint Council
WHEREAS, NYC tenants are facing a housing crisis in which tenants are being pushed out of their buildings, blocks, neighborhoods, boroughs, and the city entirely due to unaffordable housing and rents that continue to rise;
WHEREAS, Housing Courts throughout the boroughs continue to serve as eviction mills and Right to Counsel (RTC) remains radically underfunded;
WHEREAS, this crisis is not natural or inevitable, and its cause is not a lack of supply or underproduction. Rather, it is the result of private property and ownership- a for profit system in which housing is a commodity, instead of a democratically-controlled social good. The current crisis is the result of a struggle between developers and landlords, on the one hand, fighting for ever increasing profits and extraction, and working class New Yorkers and tenants fighting for safe, affordable, dignified housing on the other.
WHEREAS, our ability to stop evictions and displacement and protect our communities depends on an organized, powerful tenant movement;
WHEREAS, the Citywide Tenant Assembly (CTA) represents a newer formation of independent tenant unions and organized tenants from across New York City, working to bring together and strengthen the movement. CTA is independent from nonprofits, political parties, and other vested interests. The first two citywide tenant assemblies were held in May 2025 and December 2025 respectively. Each assembly includes collective political analysis, skill-sharing, and deliberation; each has brought together tenants from every borough and from an array of backgrounds and demographics;
WHEREAS, many ALAA members represent, advocate for, and/or organize with tenants across the boroughs. We fight against evictions, for repairs and safer, more dignified living conditions, and support tenants as they collectively organize in their buildings. Furthermore, as ALAA members, the overwhelming majority of us are New York City tenants- rising rents, unsafe living conditions, eviction and displacement do not only impact our clients- they impact us as well. A strong, organized, fighting New York City tenant movement benefits both our clients and ALAA members alike;
WHEREAS, the third CTA is set for 11am-5pm on October 17, 2026, at the Unitarian Church in downtown Brooklyn;
WHEREAS, CTA does not receive any funding and, in addition to paying for the venue and food and beverage, CTA is prioritizing interpretation services for the next assembly. The first two assemblies lacked language justice interpretation, as the coordinating committees were strapped for both funds and capacity. As a result of this, certain non-English speaking communities were less represented in the first two assemblies.
WHEREAS, ALAA members strive for language justice in all the spaces we’re in- from Housing Court to communication with clients, in our Joint Council meetings and beyond, in order to create a democratic, inclusive, and participatory space for everyone involved;
THEREFORE, be it resolved that ALAA:
Cover up to $5,000 for interpretation services for up to three languages [1] for the October 17, 2026 Citywide Tenant Assembly at the Unitarian Church in Downtown Brooklyn
Organize a delegation of ALAA workers to attend the third Citywide Tenant Assembly in October 2026, in order to deepen connections and solidarity between organized tenants and organized workers in New York City
[1] The exact amount of funding necessary will depend on outreach/RSVPs. See cost breakdown (linked above) for more information