Campaigns for rent control and tenant protections that have been simmering for years in high-cost cities have managed to break through to the national level in the last few months. Two progressive coalitions with roots in tenant organizing, centered around People’s Action in Chicago and the Center for Popular Democracy in Brooklyn, launched campaigns with overlapping demands. The “Homes Guarantee” campaign, convened by People’s Action, calls for the development of 12 million “social housing” units to be owned publicly and rented at rates that anyone can afford, regardless of income. The “Home to Thrive” platform, which the Center for Popular Democracy brought to Congress in September, demands a range of federal protections, including national rent control and a ban on evictions without just cause. The demands are picking up champions in public office.

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