The Tenant Class

In this trailblazing manifesto, political economist Ricardo Tranjan places tenants and landlords on either side of the class divide that splits North American society.What if there is no housing crisis, but instead a housing market working exactly as intended? What if rent hikes and eviction notices aren't the work of the invisible hand of the market, but of a parasitic elite systematically funneling wealth away from working-class families? With clarity and precision, Tranjan breaks down pervasive myths about renters, mom-and-pop landlords, and housing affordability. In a society where home ownership is seen as the most important hallmark of a successfullife, Tranjan refuses to absolve the landlords and governments that reap massive profits from the status quo.The tenant class must face powerful systems of disinformation and exploitation to secure decent homes and fair rent. Drawing upon a long, inspiring history of collective action in Canada, Tranjan argues that organized tenants have the power to fight back.

“In this provocative and persuasive book, Ricardo Tranjan reveals that there is no ‘housing crisis.’ Rather, there’s a rigged market in which powerful landlords ruthlessly exploit tenants with the full support of political leaders and the dominant homeowner class. This intriguing book will leave you realizing that the housing market operates just as it’s meant to – in the interests of landlords. That won’t change by offering ever more generous incentives to builders but by tenants taking collective action – and Tranjan provides an inspiring account of the little-known history of such collective action in Canada, dating back to before Confederation.” - Linda McQuaig, author of The Sport & Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada's Public Weath // “The Tenant Class counters the capitalist claptrap of columnists, policy wonks, and real estate interests. Against supply and demand narratives, Tranjan documents how landlords buy rental units to increase their market power and raise rent prices to maximize profits. His inquiry into the composition of the Canadian landlord class annihilates the myth of the ‘mom and pop’ landlord by revealing that capitalist enterprises and wealthy investors control eighty-eight percent of the country’s rental units. The Tenant Class hones in on the class antagonism that defines the landlord-tenant relationship and suggests tenants pick up their side of the class struggle.” – Cole Webber, Community Legal Worker, Parkdale Community Legal Services // “The Tenant Class makes a compelling case for pushing back against the idea of a housing crisis, and instead viewing the system as one fundamentally set up to exploit tenants and enrich landlords. Tranjan provides exciting examples of the long history of tenant organizing in Canada, reminding us that resistance is possible and ongoing. This book explodes entrenched myths about renters and landlords, and will change the way many people understand the injustice of the housing system.” – Leslie Kern, author of Feminist City and Gentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies

Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Previously, Tranjan managed Toronto's Poverty Reduction Strategy and taught at universities in Ontario and Quebec. His early academic work focused on economic development and participatory democracy in Brazil, his native country. His current research is on the political economy of social policy in Canada. Ricardo holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo, where he was a Vanier Scholar. A frequent media commentator in English and French, he lives in Ottawa.

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