Hannah is in their second year of service with the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization (PWNO) and recently completed a major milestone in their service by successfully hosting PWNO’s first Renter’s Rights Training Program. Twelve participants volunteered their June Tuesday evenings to learning about rights and collaborating on strategies to empower their neighbors.
The training was composed of four sessions, with topics including: Who we are as Renters, Leases and Laws, Navigating Rental Issues, and Organizing and Next Steps. Participants learned their legal protections, but also put this knowledge into practice by learning how to research landlords, reviewing their own leases for unenforceable clauses, and identifying issues in their own homes. As the training closed, participants excitedly strategized how to share their new knowledge with neighbors.
Hannah considered the program to have been “a wild success,” and a learning experience for everyone involved, including Hannah themself. Hannah was able to practice the skills and values of HOME Line’s VISTA tenant organizing cohort with participatory facilitation and accessible event design. The training is a part of PWNO’s mission of greater individual well-being and community empowerment, and For Hannah, deeply personal. Hannah views their service as an opportunity to forward the goodwill they’re received from others and firmly believes that it is “crucial to tend to the health and wellbeing of community.”
What’s next for Hannah? After a successful pilot program, PWNO is aiming to offer another training in the fall and exploring avenues for bringing this training to other neighborhoods. Those who may be interested can find out more by subscribing to the PWNO newsletter.
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