Hey John,
As we close out the year, we have been making sense of the electoral victory of Donald Trump, coupled with the House and Senate moving to GOP control. MAGA capturing all three branches of the federal government is a devastating reality to absorb.
But it's not all bad news: even though it has been dire at the top of the ticket, we saw voters across the country vote in progressive ballot measures that centered worker, racial and gender justice, like minimum wage increases, paid sick leave provisions, state constitutional rights to abortion, and public education protections. We have seen how important housing affordability and security is to the vast majority of people in the U.S. In other words, progressive policies can and do resonate.
Having a slumlord back in the White House, alongside all his billionaire and extremist appointees, means danger and an increased likelihood of pain and suffering for our Black, Indigenous and people of color communities and the global working class broadly. The incoming Trump regime has made it clear they intend to attack our people relentlessly–whether through blitz of mass deportations of our undocumented neighbors and loved ones, or by repression of everyone who is branded as their political enemies; whether by the systematic dismantling of governmental and social institutions, or by establishing a brutal climate of corporate deregulation.
So how did we get here?
The election results showed us that people are tired of the inflation, rent spikes, and lack of affordable housing that have been a central part of many of our lives.
Tens of millions of voters felt they are not better off, and that many–like their counterparts across the world– looked to punish parties that they believe want to maintain the neoliberal status quo. Unfortunately too many people were willing to embrace–or shrug off–the dangerous and openly fascist rhetoric that is part and parcel to MAGA’s so-called promise of change.
All of this has given us important clarity on what work lies ahead in the new year:
- We must continue to fight fiercely for the necessary short-term reforms that will shore up our communities, and we must carry forward the long unfinished business of racial and social justice in this country.
- We have to be ready to jump into action to defend our people from the attacks that are coming.
- We have to name and confront the bad actors in our economy, who are behind so much pain experienced by everyday people, including the landlords who have coordinated to spike rents across the country.
- We have to give our people a vision for how their lives will be meaningfully changed, and how they are the ones that can bring about that change.
Big real estate interests and landlords will be emboldened by this new administration and will raise rents, continue to evict, and fight attempts by their tenants to organize. Which is why we will fight them and continue to build our power and win the policies that will support our people in having permanently affordable, safe, and secure homes.
This moment calls for bold action. Over the next few months, the members of our alliance will discuss and decide on what taking coordinated action will look like. We hope that you get a chance to rest in this holiday season and will join us in the work ahead.
In solidarity,
Kamau, Matt and the Right to the City Alliance team |
