Rutgers Law School hosted the second day of the fourth annual Housing Justice Summit, co-presented with Seton Hall University School of Law. Approximately 70 students, faculty, attorneys, tenants, and community advocates gathered for interactive tenant organizing workshops on October 17. The day-long program centered on practical skills designed to help participants build tenant associations, strengthen collective action within residential communities, and lead effective local housing campaigns. The full workshop was simultaneously interpreted in English and Spanish.
John Washington, co-founder of the Tenant Union Federation, and Alaina Thomas, managing attorney for the Rutgers Housing Justice & Tenant Solidarity Clinic, presented the morning session, “Organizing Your Building”. Through discussion and role-playing, attendees explored approaches to organizing neighbors, addressing common challenges, and building lasting tenant engagement.
Thomas said, “John Washington identified limitations in our organizing with precision after an impactful opening exercise. He then grounded us in power-building principles before teaching us new tools and giving us space to practice with each other. I have never experienced anything like Saturday."
In the afternoon, attendees had the option to attend one of two breakout sessions. Lauren Herman, legal director of Make the Road New Jersey, and Isaac Jimenez organizer with North NJ Democratic Socialists of America, led the “Local Rent Control Ballot Referendum” session. Participants learned about recent successful referendum campaigns in Elizabeth and Passaic, and worked in small groups to identify housing issues suited for referendum campaigns and to identify allies.
Matthew Hersh, vice president of Policy and Advocacy, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, spoke about “Statewide Legislative Advocacy Campaigns” in the concurrent session.
The Summit concluded with the panel discussion, “Building Tenant Power”, which examined how tenant organizing can drive meaningful change. Cea Weaver, executive director of the New York City Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, spoke about the initiatives her office is undertaking and best practices for working with local government. Washington spoke about the benefits of forming tenant unions and the best ways to organize for effective change.
“There are actually problems in buildings that government structure cannot solve,” he said. “I think it’s really important that tenants have agency.”
Participant questions ranged from brokers’ fees in New Brunswick to right to counsel in Jersey City to code enforcement in Orange. Rutgers Housing Justice & Tenant Solidarity Clinic Director Greg Baltz moderated the closing panel.
"The tenant organizing workshop was an inspiring and empowering experience, bringing tenants, community members, and law students together to learn practical organizing skills from some of the most accomplished tenant organizers in the country," Professor Baltz said. "It was a powerful reminder that when people share knowledge, build relationships, and learn from those on the front lines, they strengthen their collective ability to fight for housing justice."
More than 100 lawyers, law students, advocates, tenants and policymakers gathered on the first day of the Summit at Seton Hall to discuss how stronger enforcement and access to counsel could help tenants remain in safe, affordable homes. Their central message was clear: Legal protections mean little if tenants cannot enforce them.
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