A day after Tampa’s City Council shot down a tenant’s bill of rights despite the housing crisis in the area, the People’s Safety Coalition has called for all hands on deck.
The People’s Safety Coalition, alongside other local activist groups, will host “The Rent Is Too Damn High!,” a community call-to-action and discussion about rent control in the Tampa Bay area to “get organized and demand changes in our City.”
The Safety Coalition joins forces with the Restorative Justice Coalition, Tampa Bay branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Tampa Tenants Union, Tampa Dream Defenders, Florida Change and For Our Future FL to bring this event on Saturday, Feb. 19 from noon-2 p.m. at 609 W Waters Ave., Tampa.
According to the event description, due to the continuous development of property values in Tampa Bay, “renters are now expected to pay half their income on rent.”
“Nearly 50% of one’s income going to rent means there is almost no money left for: child care, food, utilities, goods, and entertainment,” the description states.
This puts renters in the unrealistic position to choose between basic needs and housing and affects everyone, especially the poor, working class, disabled, elderly and people of color in Tampa.
Samuel Ronen, co-founder of Florida For Change, explained the importance of the meeting.
“We are trying to provide a safe space for everyone affected by high rental prices to share our frustrations, to see that we’re not alone and then decide on a course of action,” Ronen said. “The coming together or our unique organizations is emblematic of the power of good organizing. So many of us are coming from different backgrounds, geographical locations, angles and personal politics, but we are agreeing on the essential tenet that housing is a human right. We are demanding rent stabilization and nothing less.”
The meeting is free to attend and pre-registration is required here. The meeting will also be live streamed over Zoom.
This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2022.