About SMTU

Mission Statement

We are tenants living in South Minneapolis organizing to ensure safe, dignified, and stable housing for ourselves and our community. We define tenants as renters, unhoused people, and all others who do not control their own housing. We are not a charity. We fight for and with each other because our struggles are inextricably bound, and we are always stronger together.

Points of Unity

1. Housing is a human right.
2. We define tenants as anyone who does not control their own housing, but recognize that our base is made up of those who are most at risk of displacement.
3. We fight for secure, safe, dignified, and stable housing for tenants.
4. The tenant-landlord relationship is fundamentally exploitative and relies on a system that limits our choices for housing.
5. We acknowledge that laws are not enough and the only way to protect ourselves and our neighbors is to organize collectively.
6. We are not a charity. We fight for and with each other because our struggles are inextricably bound.
7. We do not tolerate racist, misogynistic, queer-phobic, xenophobic, or ableist views.
8. Conflict is inevitable and important, disorganizing is not. We lean into conflict with respect and collective commitment, always keeping our eyes on our shared goals.
9. We believe tension is GOOD and leaning into tension is how we grow.
10. We make decisions and take actions only as a collective.
11. We believe that everything worth doing is worth evaluating. We commit to giving and receiving principled feedback.

History

We formed in 2024 with a small group of renters in South Minneapolis who wanted to learn more about our rights as tenants...