Housing + Tenant Rights: Tenant Organizing in the New London Area
There has been a surge in tenant organizing in New London and surrounding towns in recent months. In this panel discussion, tenant union leaders address causes of recent rental housing problems in the area, as well as their experiences with community organizing.
Moderated by Ariella R. Rotramel, Vandana Shiva Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies and author of Pushing Back: Women of Color–Led Grassroots Activism in New York City (2020).
Speakers:
Caroline Fermo, Chapter Vice President, Baypoint Tenants Union
Daz Park, Chapter Vice President, Alpha New London Tenants Union
Luke Melonakos, Vice President, CT Tenants Union
Hannah Srajer, President, CT Tenants Union
Speakers
-
Caroline Fermo
Chapter Vice President, Baypoint Tenants Union
Caroline Fermo is the Development Coordinator for the Connecticut Tenants Union and is co-VP of her CTTU chapter, based in East Lyme. Caroline holds a M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Business, Organizations & Society and French & Francophone Studies from Franklin & Marshall College.
-
Daz Park
Chapter Vice President Alpha New London Tenants Union
-
Luke Melonakos
Vice President, Connecticut Tenants Union
Luke Melonakos is the Vice President and political director of the Connecticut Tenants Union. His background includes homeless outreach and case management, church leadership, and theological studies. He has been organizing within the tenant movement since 2021.
-
Hannah Srajer
President, Connecticut Tenants Union
Hannah Srajer is the President of the Connecticut Tenants Union. She comes to her role as a tenant, a worker, and an organizer in labor, community, faith, and healthcare spaces for the past ten years. Her writing has appeared in the Journal of American History and Poetry Magazine, among others, and her organizing work has been featured in The Nation, The Washington Post, and In These Times.