HOUSING JUSTICE LEAGUE TENANT ORGANIZING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 

In September 2021 Housing Justice League is launching our second tenant fellowship program in an effort to build and strengthen tenant associations across the city. Fellows are supported by a small stipend for the ten-week program. 

Housing Justice League believes that in order to challenge and change injustice in our society, we must build political power and organization in the communities directly impacted by those injustices.

The goal of the fellowship is to help renters learn valuable skills and leverage collective power through strengthening/building a tenant association at their building. We see this as a step in expanding the city-wide movement for housing justice.

Application Due: August 20

Interviews Scheduled: Week of August 22

Inform Applicants of decisions: August 27

Program Starts: September 13

Program Ends: November 15

Qualifications: 

  1. Desire to learn about the political struggles of housing 

  2. Is an active participant in a tenant association that has joined (is a member of) HJL

  3. Desire to work with community members to organize a tenant association and make positive change 

  4. Good listening and interpersonal skills

  5. Understanding of and commitment to the principles and concerns of Housing Justice League reflected in our Code of Conduct. Housing Justice League believes housing is a human right regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, age, economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or immigration status.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

A fellowship for tenants living in an apartment communities in Metro Atlanta who are ready to learn how to strengthen their tenant association in an effort to strengthen a city wide housing justice movement. Tasks include:

  • Training: Fellows will participate in weekly trainings lasting 4 hours on the politics of housing in Atlanta and how to organize/strengthen a tenant association

  • Fellows will work with their neighbors to bring tenants together to address a building-wide issue in an effort to improve their living conditions on the building level. Outreach includes:

    • Distributing flyers to neighbors 

    • One-on-one meetings with neighbors 

  • Fellows will work with their neighbors to encourage participation in neighborhood meetings 

  • Fellows will work with HJL staff to organize events that bring tenant associations together to build a city-wide tenant organization

  • Fellows will share the knowledge and skills they learn with other tenants in their building to help make the association a long-lasting organization 

  • We hope that Fellows will remain involved with HJL and their association after completion of the Fellowship

TOPICS CONSIDERED: During weekly meetings, we will discuss and learn about topics including:

  • Community organizing and the history of organizing in Atlanta

  • Understanding of gentrification and displacement

  • History of affordable housing in Atlanta 

  • Exploration of our work in challenging systems of oppression (racism, economic injustice, sexism, and others)

  • Nuts and bolts of organizing 

  • Conflict resolution 

Please fill out the following application to apply. You should copy and paste the questions into a Word or Google document and email it to housingjusticeleagueatl@gmail.com by Tuesday August 20. You can expect to hear from someone at HJL within a week after your submission. 

Name (first, last): _________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Phone: __________________________________________

What building do you live in? __________________________________________

What tenant association are you a part of? ________________

How often does your tenant association meet? ___________________

Please answer each of the following questions in a few sentences:

How long have you lived in Atlanta? What neighborhood do you live in currently? What other places have you lived?

Have you worked in the community before? What was your experience like?

What challenges do our communities face? What do you want to change? How do we create change?

What do you hope to gain from this Fellowship with HJL?

Our fellowship meetings will be 4 hours once a week. Outside of this commitment, how many hours are you able to commit to this work weekly? 

When are you available for a weekly fellowship meeting? Please include days of the week and times of day you are available.