everyone should get a public defender at eviction court and i'm not kidding

A 68-year-old veteran with disabilities got an eviction notice last week for unpaid rent he didn't know he owed. With swift intervention from a tenant union and a city councilor, the eviction case was dismissed. Tenant rights advocates say the case underscores a larger, systemic problem.

Thank you to @councilorgreen.bsky.social and your incredible team for saving this constituent from being evicted. I watched you hustle behind the scenes to take regular constituent work and go above and beyond to use the power of your office to make a difference in this person’s life.

Check out this story about PTU, @portlanddsa.bsky.social, and @councilorgreen.bsky.social speaking out for a @homeforward.bsky.social tenant who was nearly evicted. Quick collective action helped keep him housed. Leeor lays out some of PTU's demands for @homeforward.bsky.social.

Join leaders from @portlanddsa.bsky.social and PTU along with @councilorgreen.bsky.social at a press conference to defend a 68-year-old disabled veteran, nearly evicted due to landlord negligence. Tomorrow, Thursday, 9/4 at 10:30 AM at the Yards, 815 NW Naito Pkwy. Come demand housing justice.

We cannot achieve housing justice alone. We can only push back against the landlord class if renters stand in solidarity. Join us as we canvass renters in D1 to invite the community to the East Portland Renters’ Town Hall. RSVP today at portlanddsa.org/events #housingforall #rentersbillofrights

Join us for the third Renters' Town Hall in East Portland to support the Renters' Bill of Rights! Be part of the growing movement of Portlanders fighting back against the landlord class! RSVP Today! actionnetwork.org/events/east-...

Well that blew up! Don’t have a SoundCloud or anything but you should talk to your co-workers about Unionizing &then get @organizeworkers.bsky.social involved. Talk to folks in your apartments about tenants Unions like @pdxtu.bsky.social &get plugged in w mutual aid group feeding unhoused neighbors

📣 REMINDER: The Renters’ Town Hall is TOMORROW! 🗓 Sunday, June 1 🕑 2–4 PM 📍 Leaven Community Center (5431 NE 20th Ave) Come hear from fellow renters, share your story, and build power together. Let’s show up strong 💪 #PortlandRenters #RentersRights #TenantPower

We invited Councilor Ryan to the Renters’ Town Hall early this month. We still have not heard back from his office. I guess Ryan doesn’t want to hear from renters in his district? 🤷 #orpol #portland #pdx #renterstownhall #rentersrights @councilorkanal.bsky.social @councilordanryan.bsky.social

Join us for the District 2 Renters’ Town Hall and be part of the growing movement for a Portland where all renters are treated with dignity. RSVP TODAY! 🔗 #portland #orpol #renters #pdx #tenatsrights

Join us Wednesday, April 16 at 5:15 PM outside Portland City Hall as we rally to support @councilormorillo.bsky.social ordinance to ban AI-driven rent price-fixing. 💙 Wear blue 🪧 Bring a sign 📣 Raise your voice Let’s pack the council chambers at 6:00 PM to show support for the ordinance.

Interested in starting a new tenant organization in your neighborhood or city? Organizers from @vancouvertenants.bsky.social, Puget Sound Tenants Union, and @latenantsunion.bsky.social will present & lead a discussion. Sunday April 13, 4:30 / 7:30 Register at bit.ly/ATUN-april13

Why social housing and why now? We need to provide housing as a public good, and for Portland this means we can better respond to the housing crisis and the rigid and underfunded situation that exists today. The scale of the problem is too great for us to rely on passive, market-based solutions.

Tenants TAKE ACTION. This Wednesday, April 2nd, the city council needs to hear from you as they get ready to take action on the rent price fixing ordinance and social housing. Send a letter to city council at pdxtu.us/pricefixing and see other ways to take action at www.pdxtu.org/portland_alg....

This week we secured a major step forward for renters — My ordinance banning algorithmic rent price fixing passed out of the Homelessness and Housing Committee! Now it’s moving to the full City Council for a first hearing on the morning of Wednesday, April 2nd. ‼️ We need your help ‼️

Congratulations @councilormorillo.bsky.social for a successful committee vote on your bill to ban algorithmic price fixing software in the rental housing market. Here are my remarks, edited to fit the 3min time limit on bluesky. Watch the full hearing here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WKq...

Both the Algorithmic Pricing Ban and the Social Housing Study passed the Homelessness and Housing Committee to the full council today. The next step is going to be getting them passed in the full city council meetings. 💪

“It's hard to get into the heads of property management companies that neglect tenants and buildings creating lots of problems and misery. It requires such a high level of either greed or incompetence that makes speculation hard." -Leeor Schweitzer, on the PTU Organizing Committee

Me & my team have been working around the clock to bring the first ordinance before the new City Council that will ban price fixing algorithms in rent setting. As 1 of 2 renters on City Council and the only renter on the Housing Committee, I want to center these issues www.wweek.com/news/city/20...

🚨 Tomorrow, in the Homelessness & Housing Committee, I’m leading the charge on a resolution to study social housing in Portland. As chair of the committee and co-sponsor of this bill (alongside @councilorgreen.bsky.social), I’m fighting for real housing solutions. 🏠 Why does this matter? A thread 🧵⬇️

Tomorrow (3/25) is a great day to show up at city hall for the Homelessness and Housing Committee meeting from noon to 2 PM in support of @councilormorillo.bsky.social's ordinance to ban AI price fixing. More ways to help at www.pdxtu.org/portland_alg...

Show up to City Hall for the Housing and Homeless Committee from 12pm to 2pm to show support for @councilormorillo.bsky.social proposal to ban AI Rent Price fixing algorithms in Portland!! We need @counciloravalos.bsky.social @councilordunphy.bsky.social to support her to get it out of committee!

Support @councilorgreen.bsky.social Social Housing Resolution. Submit your written testimony by March 25 to the Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Here's a first look at a resolution to get social housing going in Portland which requires a study of housing financing and ownership models presented to Council. I'm excited about this one. It's also co-sponsored by @counciloravalos.bsky.social, Housing Co-chair. www.portland.gov/council/docu...

Was your rent raised by AI?

Check out this video from Eugene Tenant Alliance to see if your rent is being set by AI. You can take action to let Oregon legislators know that you don't want AI raising our rents here: actionnetwork.org/letters/supp.... You can also follow the links there to submit written and verbal testimony.

If you want to refine your testimony to submit to the Oregon Senate Committee on Housing and Development on SB722, check out this testimony workshop with Portland DSA today at 7 PM. RSVP at actionnetwork.org/events/testi...

Rally at Portland City Hall today at 2 PM! Confirmed speakers include multiple community leaders and elected officials. Music, comradeship, and more. Don't miss it! RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/tax-t...

Write to the Oregon Senate Committee on Housing and Development encouraging them to support SB 722 to ban price fixing AI apps statewide (yes, like that city council ordinance) AND reduce the number of units exempt from statewide rent control. actionnetwork.org/letters/supp...

National Register Historic Districts are a completely undemocratic circumvention of land use processes that allow exclusionary neighborhoods to freeze themselves in amber... but we have an opportunity to change that, and we need YOUR testimony! portlandneighborswelcome.org/house-bill-2...

I was having too much fun to remember to take pictures, but the 2025 Winter Social was a blast. We talked about the past and the future, made connections, and enjoyed some delicious pizza with beverages. Hope to see you at the next one!

See PTU's own Leeor testifying yesterday in support of banning apps landlords use to collude and fix rent prices. www.youtube.com/live/evjPj8l...

As one of three renters on City Council, I know how much the cost of rent is hurting Portland families. I look forward to sharing more about this policy with my colleagues at our next Housing Committee meeting on February 25th!

Join PTU in encouraging Portland City Council Housing Committee to pass the ordinance they are considering to ban apps landlords use to skirt antitrust policies and collude on rent price fixing. Contact the committee today: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell....

We want to invite PTU members and tenants interested in PTU's work to join us for a Winter Social on February 27th, 7 PM at Baerlic on 11th Ave. A casual social to make connections and talk about tenant organizing. RSVP at partiful.com/e/FhoSioMQ3e....

Make your voice heard, write testimony to oppose HB 2305, the three-strikes law that will let landlords evict with impunity and destroy right to cure. Submit testimony at olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/M....

Good reminder that one of our demands is for eviction protection surrounding weather events like ice and snow storms that wreck havoc on working class people who cannot make it to work or have other unexpected emergencies arise from a storm.

Social Housing in PDX next? 👀

Thank you!! It’s a can’t miss event!! Renter voices loud and clear!

@portlanddsa.bsky.social and @pdxrenterpower.bsky.social are hosting a Renters' Town Hall on February 22nd, 11:30 AM, at Holgate Library. PTU members and all renters are invited and encouraged to attend. RSVP at actionnetwork.org/events/rente....

Landlords engage in all sorts of practices that hurt tenants, from harassment about housing issues, racist redlining, price gouging, and more. If you've been hurt by a landlord or property management, let people know at www.pdxtu.org/landlord_wal....

Democratic lawmakers in California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York and Virginia have all introduced bills to ban corporate landlords from using pricing software that enables collusion and leads to increased rents.

68% of Portland tenants are burdened by their rent, and 47% spend more than 40% of their income on housing, causing major financial strain. See this and more data in our annual #PTUSurvey at www.pdxtu.org/annual_rente....

It is currently illegal throughout all of California to increase rents by more than 10% - including on new/prospective tenants - from what was advertised, offered, or charged since December 18 (when a state of emergency was declared in response to bird flu).

PTU's annual renter survey report is in, and breaking news, THE RENT IS STILL TOO DAMN HIGH! Read the whole report here: pdxtu.org/annual_rente... #PTUSurvey