8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HOUSING A tenants union is an organization of renters who work together collectively to improve housing conditions, protect their legal rights and influence housing policy. Much like a labor union, a tenants union consolidates power of individual renters into a unified group. Instead of fighting a landlord or property manager alone, members coordinate to make shared demands. Tenants unions work collectively to negotiate as a group with landlords for repairs, fair lease terms or limits on rent hikes. When negotiations fail, unions may organize protests, petitions or rent strikes. They educate renters on local housing laws, offer peer support, and sometimes coordinate for legal defense, seeking stronger renter protections and advocating for affordable housing laws. The two major tenants unions in Washtenaw County are the Ann Arbor Tenants Union and the Ypsilanti Tenants Union. They support development of localized tenant associations at specific apartment complexes who have interest, or work alongside existing tenant associations. Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU) According to their website: The Ann Arbor Tenants Union has a long and storied history. Students and community renters started the Ann Arbor Tenants Union in 1968 with a fiery beginning in the form of a three-yearlong rent strike, which forced landlords to the table and showed that organized tenants could wield real power. Over MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 the next several decades, the AATU became a hub for tenant defense and education. In 1976, the AATU won recognition to collectively bargain leases with the landlord Trony-Sunrise Associates, a major milestone. By the 1980s, the AATU had a regular practice of collaborating with the University of Michigan Law School’s clinic and relying on a steady flow of student volunteers. Organizing efforts led by the Industrial Workers of the World steered the AATU during these periods continually towards mass organizing. But decades of funding fights eventually took their toll, and in 2004, after years of struggling with budgetary shortfalls, the Ann Arbor Tenants Union closed its doors temporarily. AATU opened back up in 2018 as an all-volunteer organization, but shut down again as volunteers got burnt out. Sometime in approximately 2023 more volunteers, some associated with the University of Michigan, “rebooted” the AATU into the form it now takes. Flash forward to 2025: It has become evident that tenants in Ann Arbor need to assemble their power in a union more than ever. According to research by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Ann Arbor has the highest percentage of renters in Michigan but is also Michigan’s most expensive city for renters. Research from Ann Arbor City Planner Michelle Bennett has shown that the median household income in the City of Ann Arbor increased by only 27% since 2013, while the median apartment rent grew by 54%, a pace that has left two-thirds of Ann Arbor renters cost-burdened. Meanwhile, landlords continue to push illegal practices, exploit loopholes around existing tenant protections, and invent new ways to squeeze money out of renters, from $7,000 in fees to non-refundable charges for simply applying for housing. On September 22, 2026, members of the newly refurbished AATU spoke at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting where council voted 10-0 to officially approve a new ordinance protecting tenants' right to organize. The law protects tenants and organizers from landlord retaliation for joining or engaging with tenant organizations. The council held its scheduled public hearing and second reading, granting final approval to add the Tenants' Right to Organize under a new Tenants' Bill of Rights title in the city code. With this final vote, Ann Arbor became the first city in Michigan to legally guarantee renters the explicit right to form tenant unions, post flyers, hold meetings, and knock on doors without fear of landlord retaliation. The Adeline breaks ground, 330 affordable housing units coming 2028 LINDSAY CALKA Publisher There’s a lot of construction happening downtown, especially between 4th and 5th Avenue, Liberty and William Streets. If you are frustrated by the extra time and patience it takes to move around downtown, you can now take solace in the fact that 330 units of affordable housing will be in its place in two years. September 28, construction of The Adeline, the 20-story, 330-unit affordable housing community is being built on the “old Y lot," broke ground. All apartments will be reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, with approximately one-third of units set aside for households earning less than 30% AMI. If the building opened today, about 100 units would be reserved for single households earning less than $26,460/ year (2+ incomes can earn more). "Over 20 years ago, the City of Ann Arbor made a commitment to the community to replace 100 affordable SRO units that were lost when the former YMCA was demolished,” said Jennifer Hall, Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission. “I am proud to partner with the City, DDA, AAATA and Related Midwest to develop 330 high-quality affordable apartments on this site while expanding our transit capacity adjacent to the Blake Transit Center.” “The Adeline reflects what is possible through public-private partnership, and we're honored to partner with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission to bring much-needed housing to a site that will once again serve the Ann Arbor community,” said Curt Bailey, President of Related Midwest. “The design reflects a thoughtful approach to affordable housing, one that gives residents a building they can be proud to call home. We look forward to welcoming residents in 2028.” The Adeline takes its name from Robert and Adeline Thompson, who in 1964 opened DeLong's Bar-B-Q Pit in a converted gas station at 314 Detroit St., across from Ann Arbor's Farmers Market and next to the current Detroit Street Filling Station. DeLong’s, one of the city's historic Black-owned businesses, was a fixture of the local culinary scene for 37 years and drew visits from blues great B.B. King and boxing champion Joe Frazier. Naming the building after Adeline Thompson carries that legacy forward. “My grandmother taught us that when you empower people and give them a chance to dream, you change lives,” said local community leader Angela Davis, granddaughter of Adeline Thompson. “The Adeline isn't just a project — it's a living continuation of the legacy my grandparents built on Detroit Street: a place where no matter who you are or where you come from, you are welcomed, respected and heard.” OCTOBER 16, 2026 Local tenants unions assert their right to organize Aklesia Maereg is a member of the AATU and rents housing in Ann Arbor. “The right to organize should be a fundamental right for every tenant,” said Maereg. Tenant organizing in Ypsilanti and YTU Growing out of tenant organizing and citywide rent strikes coordinated in 1969 and 1970, the original Ypsilanti Tenants Union was organized in 1970 under the leadership of organizers like John Walker. It achieved a strong record in local tenant disputes. Nearly 58% of households in Ypsilanti are renter-occupied. Prompted in part by local housing activism, in 2024, the Ypsilanti City Council established an ad-hoc Tenants' Rights Subcommittee to research rental policies, improve housing conditions, and address a major power imbalance in eviction filings. YTU is a grassroots organization that reorganized in 2022. YTU advocates for renters' rights, hosts organizing workshops, and fights against housing instability by building tenant associations. The YTU hosts public meetings and tenant empowerment workshops, such as Tenant Organizing 101, to help renters collaborate with neighbors and address landlord disputes. General meetings are open to tenants and supporters in solidarity, excluding landlords and police. Local tenant organizing has gained see TENANT page 13 Housing project rendering. Related Midwest & SmithGroup
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