Support tenant Mutual Aid efforts

My name is Veronica and I'm a tenant organizer in DC. As we know, this year has been brutal and so many of our local DC Tenant Leaders that I work with are having a hard time putting food on the table, let alone paying bills and rent. These are Black, brown, immigrant, working class tenants, many of whom are elders who’ve given a lot to the tenants' rights struggle in DC. Committed advocates and leaders that keep this city running and in many cases have been the least protected because so many of them are essential or excluded workers who have not been able to stay at home during COVID19.  These are the same folks who are constantly connecting our current tenant struggle to the history of movements for racial justice in this country, and who I am constantly learning from. 

This past year many have suffered income loss, sickness, and big family & community losses. And we know that as Winter approaches, things are just going to get a lot more difficult. Additionally, a lot of us are working to cancel rent at the building and policy level during COVID, but that fight is going to TAKE TIME, so in the meantime we’ve got to take care of one another. This is why I’m raising funds this month—so we can properly plan around the even more difficult months to come and support our tenants—our community—with mutual aid efforts (food, basic necessities, cash support, etc.). True mutual aid means that the tenants themselves will be making collective decisions about how to use and distribute the funds through democratic and community processes. “We Keep Us Safe” means many things including showing up for one another in tangible ways, so let’s live up to that cry of solidarity and support and show up for our fellow community members.

Thanks so much for your support! And please, reach out to me if you have any questions.