Formed in 1996, the Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) is Oregon’s only statewide, grassroots, tenant-controlled, tenant-rights organization.  CAT educates, organizes and develops the leadership of low-income tenants to directly challenge unjust housing policies and practices.  Our mission is to educate and empower tenants to demand affordable, stable and safe rental homes.  We address the impact Oregon’s decreasing supply of decent, affordable housing and absence of meaningful tenant protections has on low-income tenants.

Oregon’s tenants face housing injustice in the form of increased rents, discrimination, instability, overcrowding and worsening living conditions.  These issues are made worse as those of us living with the daily crisis of housing injustice are marginalized and kept from the funding and policy decisions that impact our lives. 

CAT is a tenant membership organization.  Low-income tenants – predominately low-wage workers, families with children, people living with disabilities, seniors, and people of color - are CAT’s primary membership base.  CAT is building a strong housing justice movement that is led and directed by those who are most impacted by Oregon’s affordable housing crisis - low-income renters. 

CAT has a vision of social justice where everyone’s basic needs are met and all people are treated with compassion and justice regardless of race, income, sex, gender identity, ability, sexual orientation and immigration status.  We believe that everyone deserves to have a direct say in the decisions that impact our lives and that the people affected by problems should direct their solutions. Through leadership development and community organizing we seek to build the power of low-income tenants and tenants of color to win improvements in housing conditions and direct the future of our communities.

CAT runs three main programs: The Safe Housing Project (SHP) organizes low-income renters in our buildings to win immediate improvements in housing conditions and stability.  While organizing for immediate improvements in our buildings, we are building a grassroots movement and initiating campaigns to win improvements in housing policy and practice for all tenants.  We are organizing for increased funding for affordable housing and improved tenant protections under Oregon law and local policy through the Housing Justice Program.  The Education Program educates tenants about our rights and provides suggestions for self-advocacy to promote safe, stable and affordable housing.  The Education Program operates the Renters’ Rights Hotline, conducts workshops and provides informational brochures. 

With our model of leadership development and grassroots organizing, we have seen tremendous success.

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