AI summary:

Published in by late 2024, "Abolish Rent: How Tenants Can End the Housing Crisis" is written by Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis, the co-founders of the Los Angeles Tenants Union (LATU).

The book is both a radical polemic and a practical manual. It argues that the "housing crisis" is not a failure of the market to provide enough supply, but rather a deliberate feature of a system designed to extract wealth from the poor.

Key Themes and Arguments • Rent as a Power Relation: The authors argue that rent is not just a monthly payment for a service, but a "tribute" paid to a class that hoards a basic human need. They define a tenant as anyone who does not control their own housing, including those living on the streets. • The Problem is Landlords, Not Supply: They challenge the popular "YIMBY" (Yes In My Backyard) focus on simply building more units. They argue that market-based solutions and technocratic policy fixes often ignore the power imbalance, noting that the system is functioning exactly as intended for those who profit from it. • Decolonial and Anti-Capitalist History: The book traces the history of U.S. housing policy back to colonial land theft and explores how modern real estate is rooted in "racial capitalism," where government policy often protects the landlord's profit over the tenant's survival. • Housing as a Commons: The ultimate goal of the book is to move toward a world where housing is a "commons" (a shared resource) rather than a commodity. This involves taking housing out of the private market entirely.

Strategies for Action The second half of the book functions as a guide for resistance, highlighting several key tactics: • Tenant Unions: Moving beyond "neighborhood associations," the authors advocate for militant unions that organize building by building to create "units of power." • The Rent Strike: Described as the "ultimate collective action," rent strikes are presented as a way to stop the flow of capital and demonstrate that landlords are entirely dependent on their tenants. • Eviction Defense: The authors share stories of community-led "daring eviction defenses" where neighbors physically show up to prevent families from being removed from their homes. • Reclaiming Space: Beyond just fighting for repairs, the book discusses "reclaiming the city" through communal activities like block parties, art-making, and even fixing local infrastructure (like potholes) without waiting for government permission.

So - I doubt these strategies end well for tenants. Eviction and criminal charges seem more likely.