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Non-profit

United Renters for Justice (Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia (IX))

Website:

www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/
Location:

Minneapolis, MN
Tax ID:

47-4987940
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $2,671,573
Expenses: $1,452,218
Assets: $2,489,040
Type:

Advocacy Group
Formation:

2015
Director:

Jennifer Arnold
Budget (2022):

Revenue: $1,763,830

Expenses: $1,370,102

Assets: $2,805,828 1

References

  1. “Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justic Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474987940/202311989349301036/full.

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Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia (United Renters for Justice or IX) is a left-of-center organization of low-income and racial-minority tenants who protest alleged abuses by landlords in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The New York Times has characterized IX as “the tenants who evicted their landlords.” 1

As of July 2024, the Minnesota Legislature is considering a bill that would grant $6 million to IX. 2 3 The organization was originally known as “Inquilinos Unidos por Justicia” (Tenants United for Justice). 4

Ideology

Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia advocates for tenants against landlords. The organization claims that low-income and Black tenants are systematically discriminated against due to racism and the rise of corporate landlord companies after the 2008 financial crisis which changed market conditions and regulations to favor landlords. The group argues, “This exacerbated the power imbalance between landlords and renters, enabling landlords to further extract wealth by using racism as a business practice – intimidating BIPOC tenants to pay higher fees, neglecting essential repairs, and evicting them at higher rates than White tenants.” 5

History

In February 2014, a resident of the Lyndale Neighborhood Association in Minneapolis conducted a survey of other residents and found that worries over landlords conducting proper apartment maintenance were the “number one safety concern.” The following year, numerous tenants formed Inquilinos Unidos por Justicia to sue their landlord, QT Properties, for improper management. Three more lawsuits were filed the following year and tenants successfully stopped a rent increase. Throughout 2017, QT Properties sold most of its rental properties, while IX began campaigning for rent control. Late in the year, two major real estate developers lost their rental licenses due to IX’s legal efforts. 6

In 2018, the City of Minneapolis purchased eight buildings from one of the delicensed agents. 7 By that year, IX had returned $200,000 to tenants. 8

In June 2019, the Apartment Shop settled a lawsuit with an $18 million payout to IX members, the largest of its kind in U.S. history. Later in the year, Minneapolis passed an ordinance requiring landlords whose licenses are revoked to pay tenants’ relocation fees. 9

In August 2020, IX launched a campaign to support tenants against the Apartment Block and its affiliate, Havenbrook Homes, for alleged improper evictions and apartment maintenance. Over the following year, IX representatives met with U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) as well as U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to rally support for their cause. 10

In March 2022, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) filed a lawsuit against Havenbrook Homes. In May, Havenbrook Tenants went on a rent strike. 11

As of July 2023, IX campaigns against Havenbrook Homes and the Apartment Shop, which has since been renamed Progress Residential. 12 13

Leadership

Jennifer Arnold is listed as the director of Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia on her LinkedIn and as co-director on the organization’s 2022 tax forms. Arnold previously worked as the lead organizer of the Lyndale Neighborhood Association, the pre-cursor of IX, and was an organizer at Minnesotan’s United for Families, Democrat-aligned grassroots advocacy group. 14 15

Robert de la Liva is a co-founder and co-director of IX. He is a Bush Fellow at the Bush Foundation and works with the Sky Without Limits Cooperative, a housing cooperative in Minneapolis. 16 17

Funding

According to Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia’s 2022 tax forms, the organization earned $1,763,830, nearly all of which came from charitable contributions. 18

As of July 2024, Minnesota Senate Bill SF 3490 was being considered, and if passed, would grant $6 million to IX to renovate Sky Without Limits, a housing co-op. 19 20 The Minnesota House version of the bill, HF 3627, was also being considered. 21

In 2024, IX received $50,000 from the Minneapolis Foundation to support rent control policies. 22 In 2023, the Foundation contributed $125,000 to expand tenant education programs. 23 In 2022, the Foundation contributed $60,000 to support rent control. 24

From 2019 to 2023, IX received four grants worth $1.75 million from the McKnight Foundation for operations support and the Sky Without Limits Housing Cooperative. 25

In 2023, IX received $50,000 from the Frey Foundation of Minnesota. 26

In 2019, IX received two grants worth a total of $125,000 for “culturally-specific organizational capacity building” and for developing the Boundless Sky Cooperative, “a rent-capped and land trust protected cooperative owned and managed by tenants.” 27

IX has received funding from the Headwaters Foundation for Justice. 28

References

  1. Desmond, Matthew. “The Tenants Who Evicted Their Landlords.” The New York Times. October 13, 2020. Updated October 6, 2021. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/magazine/rental-housing-crisis-minneapolis.html.
  2. “SF3490.” Minnesota Legislature. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&f=SF3490&ssn=0&y=2024.
  3. “SF 3490.” Minnesota Legislature. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF3490&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2024&session_number=0.
  4. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome.
  5. “Our Organizing.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/our-work.
  6. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome.
  7. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome.
  8. Phaneuf, Taryn. “Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia’s long fight for low-income renters.” Minn Post. August 31, 2018. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.minnpost.com/community-sketchbook/2018/08/inquilinxs-unidxs-por-justicias-long-fight-for-low-income-renters/.
  9. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome.
  10. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome.
  11. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome.
  12. Morgenson, Gretchen. “These tenants fought one of America’s largest corporate landlords — and scored some wins.” NBC News. July 5, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tenants-fought-one-americas-largest-corporate-landlords-scored-wins-rcna90667.
  13. “About.” Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justicia. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.inquilinxsunidxs.org/en/about#welcome
  14. “Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justic Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474987940/202311989349301036/full.
  15. “Jennifer Arnold.” LinkedIn. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-arnold-89296b33/.
  16. “Robert de la Liva.” Bush Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.bushfoundation.org/fellows/roberto-de-la-riva.
  17. “Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justic Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474987940/202311989349301036/full.
  18. “Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia United Renters For Justic Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474987940/202311989349301036/full.
  19. “SF3490.” Minnesota Legislature. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&f=SF3490&ssn=0&y=2024.
  20. “SF 3490.” Minnesota Legislature. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF3490&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2024&session_number=0
  21. “HF 3627.” Bill Track 50. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1704696.
  22. “$3.1 MILLION IN RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE GRANTS AWARDED.” Minneapolis Foundation. May 7, 2024. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/stories/racial-and-economic-justice/3-1-million-in-racial-and-economic-justice-grants-awarded/.
  23. “Minneapolis Foundation awards $725K in grants for affordable housing.” KSTP. July 27, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/minneapolis-foundation-awards-725k-in-grants-for-affordable-housing/.
  24. “$4.2 MILLION AWARDED IN RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE GRANTS.” Minneapolis Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/stories/racial-and-economic-justice/4-2-million-awarded-in-racial-and-economic-justice-grants/.
  25. “Grant search: InquilinXs UnidXs Por Justicia.” McKnight Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.mcknight.org/grants/search-our-grants/?grant-keyword=justicia&date_start=&date_end=&grant_program=#main-content.
  26. “2023 Housing Grant Recipients.” Frey Foundation of Minnesota. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.freyfoundationmn.org/housing-grant-partners.
  27. “2019 Housing Stability Grants–Other.” Pohland Family Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://pohladfoundation.org/past-program-grants/2019-housing-stability-grants-other/.
  28. “InquilinXs UnidXs Por Justicia GP Grantee (1).” Headwaters Foundation for Justice. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://headwatersfoundation.org/2022-annual-report/inquilinxs-unidxs-por-justicia-gp-grantee-1/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 2016

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $2,671,573 $1,452,218 $2,489,040 $76,940 N $2,665,850 $0 $5,483 $133,192
    2020 Dec Form 990 $1,416,977 $1,235,207 $1,332,132 $139,387 N $1,412,901 $0 $4,076 $164,699
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,052,723 $474,441 $1,034,756 $13,220 N $964,075 $85,074 $3,574 $71,691 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $392,934 $325,129 $450,534 $7,280 N $340,437 $52,127 $370 $70,113 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $424,998 $219,446 $381,332 $5,883 N $373,641 $51,197 $160 $70,833 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $280,626 $111,940 $172,407 $2,509 N $227,481 $26,196 $0 $52,083 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    United Renters for Justice (Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia (IX))


    Minneapolis, MN