The Kansas City Tenants Union, also known as KC Tenants, is a non-profit tenant's union in Kansas City, Missouri. It was founded in 2019 by Tiana Caldwell and Tara Raghuveer.
History
KC Tenants was founded with an annual budget of $30,000, which has grown to almost $600,000 in June 2023. The union has worked together with Mayor Quinton Lucas on housing policy, notably passing a tenant's bill of rights in 2019 that included banning "discrimination against prospective tenants solely because of a prior arrest, conviction or eviction." KC Tenants has clashed with landlords and the courts over specific eviction cases and the COVID eviction moratorium. The group has a tenants' hotline and an incident report form for renters experiencing housing issues or who have questions about renters' rights. The organization pressured the city into passing a "Right to Counsel" policy, which provides free legal counseling for renters facing eviction filings. KC Tenants advocate for a "People's Housing Trust Fund" to build affordable housing, originally to be funded through reducing the Kansas City police department budget.
The Kansas City Homeless Union formed in January 2021 with support from KC Tenants. The two groups have demonstrated together for housing policy reform.
KC Tenants launched its political wing in October 2022 named KC Tenants Power.
KC Tenants Power
In June 2023, candidates endorsed by KC Tenants Power won four out of the thirteen Kansas City city council commissioner seats, losing two races.