The Knoxville Area Tenants’ Union (KATU) is a seemingly defunct attempt to create a tenant union in the Knoxville area focused on two apartment complexes owned by the Rand Property Management Company. After forming in September of 2023, representatives of the group spoke at a city council meeting and urged the use of eminent domain and other government measures to address rent increases. By January 2024, the group appeared to have become defunct. ^{1  2}

Founding and History

Knoxville, Tennessee is a rapidly growing area of the state, which is already one of the fastest growing states in the U.S. By 2040, the area’s population is projected to have expanded by over 15 percent. The growth has caused friction as infrastructure and housing supply struggle to keep up with rapidly rising demand. This is especially true for housing, where rent has increased by roughly 35 percent from 2019 to December of 2024, while average salaries have only increased by 20 percent. ³

The Knoxville Area Tenants’ Union was born out of these changing dynamics in 2023 in response to the Tanglewood Apartments complex being purchased by the Rand Property Management company in July of that year. The tenants alleged that the company increased monthly rents from around $900 to $1,400 upon their acquisition, prompting some residents to move out. In response, residents of the renamed Tillery apartments and the Hammond Apartment Homes, both owned by Rand, formed a tenant union to attempt to negotiate with the company and to force political change for the area’s housing situation. ¹

As of October 2025, the group appears to be largely defunct. It has not released a newsletter on its website since January 2024, and it is unclear whether its scheduled monthly meeting takes place, as it is simply scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of each month for years in advance on its public calendar. ^{2  4}

Finances

The Knoxville Area Tenants’ Union collects funds via the fundraising platform Givebutter. It has three fundraising campaigns, only one of which, the emergency displacement fund, raised any money, amounting to $475. It also has a membership dues option, the amount of which is not public. Its expenses are not publicly available. ^{5   6}

Organization Philosophy

The Knoxville Area Tenants’ Union has a left-of-center orientation. The group advocated for the city government to acquire housing units using eminent domain, institute rent control ordinances, ban certain types of fees, and expand its subsidization of affordable housing. ^{1  2}

Projects and Initiatives

The Knoxville Area Tenants’ Union’s activities appear to have mostly been limited to the fall of 2023. The group organized to speak at the Knoxville City Council meeting in September where it put forward ideas for seizing housing using eminent domain and some form of rent control. The group promoted resources for people facing evictions or in need of rental assistance, and also advised tenants on documentation practices when dealing with their landlords or management. The group canvassed apartment buildings to spread the word that the group had been formed and to pass out literature. ^{2  1  7}

Leadership

The chairman of the Knoxville Area Tenants’ Union was Hannah Freeman, a tenant at the Tillery apartments. She was the main public face of the group and spoke to several media outlets about the union and its goals. In the last newsletter from the group, published in January 2024, Freeman noted that she was informed that her lease would not be renewed. ^{8  1  2}

Freeman has continued with left-of-center agitation. In June 2025, Freeman was noted as being an organizer with the Knoxville Party for Socialism and Liberation, which participated in a protest against the deportation of illegal immigrants. Freeman objected to the Knoxville County Sheriff’s Department cooperating with federal immigration authorities. ⁹

1. Sloan, Silas. “Some Knoxville Renters Are Banding Together in Hopes of Keeping Apartment Rent Down.” Knoxville News Sentinel. September 20, 2023. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/09/20/knoxville-rent-increases-lead-to-renter-union/70889195007/.
2. “Newsletter.” Knoxville Area Tenant’s Union. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.knoxvilleareatenantsunion.com/newsletter/.
3. Feinberg, Allie. “Knoxville Isn’t a Secret Anymore. What It Means for Residents, Newcomers.” Knoxville News Sentinel. June 24, 2025. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2025/06/24/knoxville-populations-knox-county-will-be-home-to-75000-more-residents-by-2040/83995102007/.
4. “Events.” Knoxville Area Tenant’s Union. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.knoxvilleareatenantsunion.com/events/. 
5. “Members.” Knoxville Area Tenant’s Union. October 31, 2023. https://www.knoxvilleareatenantsunion.com/members/. 
6. “Knoxville Area Tenants Union.” Givebutter. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://givebutter.com/knoxville-area-tenants-union. 
7. “Resources.” Knoxville Area Tenant’s Union. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.knoxvilleareatenantsunion.com/resources/. 
8. [1] Zucker, Noah. “I Thought I’d Own a Home by Now but I’m Fighting Eviction – My Family Has Lived Here for 9 Generations & Can’t Afford It.” The US Sun. October 2, 2023. https://www.the-sun.com/news/9232062/high-rent-protests-eviction-knoxville-tennessee-tenants-union/. 
9. Ray, Sha’de. “Anti-ICE Deportation Protest Hits Downtown Knoxville.” WLVT. June 14, 2025. https://www.wvlt.tv/2025/06/14/anti-ice-deportation-protest-hits-downtown-knoxville/.