Syracuse Tenants Union

Advocacy

In 2021, the Syracuse Tenants Union released a platform outlining its advocacy focus. The Union claimed that “housing is a human right” and supported providing tenants with “clean, safe, decent housing.” ²

The Union had expressed support for the Tenant Dignity and Safe Housing Act, a New York State bill that would allow tenants to take legal action against landlords in local housing court. ²

The Union also supported Good Cause Eviction Protection, a New York State bill that would increase regulations on landlords to prevent threatening eviction when tenants ask for reasonable repairs. ²

The Union expressed support for the creation of a Tenant Support Unit in the Syracuse Mayor’s Office to directly advocate on behalf of tenant’s rights such as negotiating affordable housing agreements with property developers as well as collecting data on housing evictions. ²

The Union advocates for the city of Syracuse to opt-in to the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974, a New York state law meant to establish rent controls for tenants in buildings constructed before 1974. ²

STOP! Coalition

The Syracuse Tenants Organizing for Power (STOP!) Coalition is a joint project of the Syracuse Tenants Union, the Syracuse chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Syracuse Democratic Socialists of America. ¹

According to its website, the STOP! Coalition has nine listed demands: end all evictions, more political power for the Haudenosaunee Indigenous people, tenant-led control over the Syracuse government, aggressive code enforcement against “slum lords,” “drive out abusive and negligent landlords!” universal rent control, no displacements for non-white tenants, an end to lead and radon poisoning, and filling vacant homes in Syracuse with homeless people. ¹

Activities

The Syracuse Tenants Union runs a “good cause eviction” campaign that advocates for enhanced regulations on evictions within the city of Syracuse. Under the proposed campaign, tenants would have a right to renew leases, landlords would be prohibited from raising rents by more than 5%, and if landlords had previously unjust evictions, they would be prohibited from making future evictions. ³ In May 2025, the Union organized a demonstration with the New York State Tenant Bloc, Families For Lead Freedom Now, the Service Employees International Union Local 1199, and the New York ACLU to advocate their “good cause eviction” campaign. ⁴ In 2021, the Union was one of 73 signers of a petition to Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) demanding the passage of “good cause eviction” regulations. ⁵

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union campaigned to extend rent moratoriums for tenants when they began to expire while advocating for the moratoriums to extend throughout “the duration of the crisis.” ⁶

In early 2025, the Syracuse Tenants Union released Raise the Roof: Building Tenant Power in Syracuse, a documentary showcasing its activity and advocacy. The film was directed by Syracuse University sociology professor Gretchen Purser. ⁷

Leadership

Palmer Harvey is a co-founder of the Syracuse Tenants Union. Harvey served as an Onondaga County legislator for one term ending in 2025 as the candidate of both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. In April 2025, Harvey unexpectedly dropped her candidacy for reelection despite being endorsed by both parties again. Later in the month, Republican candidate Bonnke Sekarore challenged the petition signatures of the new Democratic-Working Families nominee, Kenyatta Calloway. Harvey was reported as having dropped out of the race due to the signature problem. ^{8 9 10 11}

Mary Traynor is a co-founder of the Union. Traynor is an attorney who previously worked for Legal Services of Central New York. ¹²