Formed in 1995 in the aftermath of the end of rent control, the Boston Tenant Coalition (BTC) is a coalition of grassroots tenant neighborhood groups, community development corporations, and homeless and advocacy organizations that promotes affordable housing in Boston. The BTC involves tenant leaders and housing activists from a wide variety of constituencies and neighborhoods to defend and expand the rights of tenants and to push city, state, and federal government, as well as private industry to address the needs of low-income tenants. Our niche in the affordable housing movement is our stalwart promotion of tenant rights, and our emphasis that affordable housing needs to be both permanent and targeted to Boston’s low-income populations.
BTC is also the anchor organization for the Coalition for a Truly Affordable Boston (CTAB). CTAB is a network of housing justice organizations working together to ensure that Boston’s housing policies truly serve those who need them most. Since 2018, we’ve been advocating for policies that center low—and moderate-income residents and protect them from displacement. Our coalition believes that everyone deserves a home they can afford in a city that remains diverse, vibrant, and welcoming.
The Problem We Are Addressing
Gentrification is rapidly displacing low- and moderate-income Bostonians from their homes and communities. Throughout Boston, developers are building market-rate and luxury rental apartments driven by maximizing their profits. Landlords are capitalizing upon the housing crisis by converting apartments and entire buildings that have been affordable for generations into market rate or luxury housing. At the same time, the landlord lobby is persistently and effectively advocating against policies that protect tenants and also for the weakening of tenant rights. As a result, low- and moderate-income tenants are being displaced from their homes, the fabric of our communities is unraveling, and Boston is losing its diversity.
Our Vision
We believe that at the root of the problem – displacement of low- and moderate-income people from their homes and communities – is the major power imbalance that exists between the real estate industry and tenants. We believe that the way to correct this power imbalance is through grassroots tenant organizing.
We believe that low- and moderate-income people should not have to live on the verge of displacement and have to constantly defend their right to be part of this city. Instead, we believe Boston should be a place where people from all walks of life can put down roots and build strong, stable, dynamic communities.