named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Housing Notebook Radio Show
Weekly live call-in radio program on WBAI 99.5 FM covering housing justice issues in NYC and beyond, featuring expert interviews and listener questions
Tenants' Rights Mutual Walk-In Clinic
Free roundtable clinics in Manhattan operating on mutual aid principles, where tenants receive brief consultations and share knowledge about repairs, evictions, leases, and rent regulation
Tenants' Rights Telephone Hotline
Free phone service offering guidance on tenant rights, options for resolving housing issues, and referrals to legal and community resources; staffed by trained volunteers
activities · 2 groups
What they do
-
Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 4 activities
- Hosting in-person tenants' rights clinicsHosts biweekly walk-in clinics at two locations in New York City from October through June, offering individual consultations of approximately 10 minutes each. Provides education on rights, support in addressing housing issues, and facilitates peer learning through roundtable formats.
- Operating a tenants' rights hotline and referral serviceRuns a free telephone hotline staffed by trained volunteers that provides tenants' rights assistance, brief answers to housing questions, and free referrals to legal services, community organizations, and tenant lawyers. Available during specified hours to New York City residents.
- Producing educational resources on tenant rights and housing regulationsDevelops and distributes fact sheets and educational materials explaining tenant rights and responsibilities, rent stabilization regulations, coverage of rent-regulated apartments, illegal evictions and lockouts, and the rights of roommates. Clarifies tenant obligations during the pandemic, including that online rent payment is not mandatory.
- Providing tenant counseling and legal assistance to prevent evictionsOffers counseling on tenant rights and obligations, legal assistance to avoid evictions, and support in obtaining housing repairs. Includes guidance on responding to nonpayment and holdover eviction cases, representing oneself in housing court, and accessing emergency rental assistance programs such as the one-shot deal from HRA.
-
-
Housing Policy Advocacy & Tenant Organizing 1 activity
- Advocating for safe, decent, and affordable housing through public education and mediaAdvocates for housing justice by producing and broadcasting a weekly live call-in radio show on WBAI 99.5 FM that covers the housing movement in New York City and globally. The program has aired for over 30 years, with recent episodes archived online for public access.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$860K
Contributions & grants$860K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$784K
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$634K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$446K
Cash$177K
Investments$0
Liabilities$134K
Net assets$311K
Liquid reserves2.7 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +19.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Gordon | Chief Executive Officer | 35 | $113K |
board members · 7
- Anderson Fils-Aime — Board member
- Andrew Friedman — Board member
- Brandon West — Board member
- Charles Khan — Board member
- Jennifer Laurie — Treasurer
- Katie Unger — Board member
- Kenny Schaeffer — Secretary and acting chair
relationships · 8
Who they work with
- Human Resources Administration Government — Administers one-shot deal program for back rent payments
- Human Resources Administration (HRA) Government — Partner agency administering the one-shot deal rental assistance program referenced in educational materials.
- Met Council on Housing Partner — Operates the Tenants' Rights Mutual Walk-In Clinic in partnership with the Met Council Research & Education Fund Inc.
- New York City Government — Provides tenant support within New York City and references city housing policies and programs such as Right to Counsel.
- New York City Housing Authority Government — References NYCHA as the operator of public housing in New York City.
- WBAI Partner — Partners with WBAI 99.5 FM to broadcast a weekly call-in radio show on housing issues.
- WBAI 99.5 FM Partner — Radio station that broadcasts the organization's weekly Housing Notebook radio show.
- WBAI FM Partner — Radio broadcast partner for the Housing Notebook program.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collective Action and Mutual Aid for Housing Justicemethodology: mutual_aidBy fostering mutual aid networks and collective strategies like rent withholding, the organization builds tenant power to enforce housing rights and resist displacement, because shared experiences and coordinated action strengthen community resilience and increase leverage against landlords.
- Direct Support as Pipeline to Organizingmethodology: direct-support-to-organizing-pipelineBy connecting tenants receiving legal or emergency assistance to broader organizing efforts, the organization transforms individual crises into collective action, because linking service to movement-building increases long-term engagement and systemic impact.
- Housing as a Human Right Frameworkmethodology: housing-as-a-human-rightBy organizing tenants around the principle that housing is a fundamental human right rather than a commodity, the organization fosters a membership-based movement that challenges profit-driven real estate interests and advocates for structural change, because this moral and political framing motivates sustained engagement and policy transformation.
- Tenant Education as Preventive Advocacymethodology: tenant-educationBy distributing educational materials and fact sheets to tenants and landlords, the organization promotes awareness of housing rights and regulations, thereby preventing disputes and evictions because early knowledge reduces compliance gaps and empowers proactive problem-solving.
- Tenant Empowerment Through Legal Education and Supportmethodology: tenant_empowerment_through_legal_assistanceBy providing tenants with legal counseling, self-representation resources, and accurate information about their rights, the organization enables them to navigate housing court and avoid eviction, because informed tenants are more likely to assert their rights and maintain housing stability.