Unite and Fight the Housing Goliath

The growing ambition of the rich and the millionaires becomes more remarkable each day, especially when talking about the powerful class of property owners and landlords. The business of buying and selling property and renting has become extremely lucrative and profitable.

It is frightening to see how far the property owners have gone, increasing the rental and selling prices to levels that are practically impossible for working class people to afford. But the most terrifying thing is to know that they are driven by more wealth accumulation regardless of this social injustice, and as a result hundreds of people are being pushed into the streets. The situation has become devastating for families that cannot sustain the high cost of housing and are facing displacement.

We already know the pandemic caused an increase of mental health problems, especially in the most vulnerable. In the United States, the notorious landlord class is tossing the poorest people into the streets. This is now the reality faced by whole swathes of people barely surviving on poverty wages.

However, this urgent and horrible situation—that should be seen as a violation of basic human rights—neither draws the attention of the politicians who claim to represent us, nor does it appear to be a priority for those who supposedly govern with equity. This capitalist system only offers a slap to the face of those who try to stand up for what’s right and doesn’t give a fuck that the poor are being squeezed to their limits.

The reality of housing injustice has been kept hidden for years but can no longer be concealed. We can see how grotesque and tragic it is, all around us. Those in power choose to ignore how we are exploited and manipulated in “this great nation”. The exploitation and impoverishment of millions that is becoming more visible around us is something deliberately planned. The rich will never let go of their wealth and privilege by their own will.

Things will likely become even more bleak. But amidst this crisis, there is a lifeline that offers a chance to do something and renew hope for a better life. It is important to understand that this lifeline is only a vehicle to get out of the storm, but that it is we who are affected, and we who must manage and direct it. The San Diego Tenants Union (SDTU) is a tool of struggle and resistance, to support renters against rising costs. SDTU represents the counterbalance to the landlords so that rental costs do not continue to rise, because otherwise they will never stop. Especially as it now seems that those in this “business” aim to exploit this gold mine to exhaustion, without considering the ravages that their ambition causes.

The SDTU is the vehicle through which tenants must organize and fight for their rights, with knowledge and perseverance. While it may seem like only one grain of sand in a sandbox, that grain can multiply in numbers and power until it takes over the sandbox. After all, we are the majority, and we are all affected. When we unite into one cause and become class-conscious, the owners and investors will tremble because people will no longer be afraid and will take back what is rightfully theirs and is being robbed from them. They will take back what they earned through the blood, sweat, and tears of their labor.

Over its history of voluntary service, the San Diego Tenants Union has supported many families, won important victories, and defended people facing eviction. The union’s strength has also forced homeowners to repair homes in poor condition. The union has also helped many families by giving different types of support and connecting them to available resources. As I said, the union is still a small organism, and yet it has fought the big dinosaurs of housing.

And with that spirit of struggle and commitment to social justice, and with that huge heart, it continues to lead the way. The SDTU continues to fight for the rights of the poor tenants; those forgotten by government and god. Those who rise like ants every day at dawn, and despite working hard, have to live with the eternal anxiety of “what will happen tomorrow.”

It takes courage to go against this unequal system. It requires awareness of how they divide us into social strata. It takes the willingness to change the course of history. More people are needed to join into the fight that the San Diego Tenants Union has waged to battle Goliath, the giant owner of housing and rental units.

The SDSTU has shown that when we struggle, we can win. Despite limited resources, it shows the power in numbers. The union has confronted owners in court and won for the tenants. It needs to be said that the powerful are not invincible. There is a way to defeat them and that is “popular struggle”, i.e., workers’ struggle.

We know that few organizations are dedicated to the fight for tenants’ rights. Even though the work is indispensable, there are few resources to sustain the hard battles against those who have power in their hands. Few are willing to walk this path. SDTU organizers like Sandra Galindo, Rafael Baustista and Miguel commit a labor of love to organize communities to fight back. With very few resources, they have raised the flag for poor and working-class families; those who are at risk of losing their roof and shelter—all because the rich only think about making more wealth.

To think that it is not possible to achieve changes that ensure decent housing for every person in this country is to resign oneself to the current conditions, lower your head, and submit. Resignation only gives absolute power to the housing oligarchy. The foundations on which millionaires base their fortunes are human capital, cheap labor, exploitation, and mass production. If we understand that—that we are that capital—then we will achieve greater unity, and with it, the power to change policies in our favor. This starts with recognizing our power in the fight for safe and affordable housing.

Sara García Molina was born in Coyoacan, CDMX, and grew up in the border city of Tijuana. She is a self-taught writer and author of four published works. In 2001 she received a degree in Journalism from La Salle, Tijuana B.C., endorsed by the AMPE (Mexican Association of Journalists and Writers). She also belongs to the NWU (National Union of Writers of the United States), the IFJ (International Press)… and the FIF (Freelancing isn't Free). She currently resides in San Diego, CA.