The Tenant Class

In this episode of the New Housing Alternatives podcast, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas are joined by Ricardo Tranjan, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of "The Tenant Class." Together, they explore the evolving landscape of tenant rights, the growing influence of corporate landlords, and the urgent need for tenant-focused research and organizing to confront Canada’s affordability crisis. The conversation provides deep insight into power dynamics, policy history, and the challenges and opportunities faced by tenants and their advocates.Learning Objectives:Understand the historical context of tenant rights and rent control in Canada, and how regulations have weakened over time.Recognize the shift from local, “mom and pop” landlords to corporate landlords and real estate investment trusts (REITs).Analyze how global capital impacts housing affordability and the market’s power dynamics.Differentiate between research about tenants and research for tenants, and why this distinction matters.Reflect on the constant and persistent challenges facing tenant organizers and the importance of direct resource allocation.Identify effective strategies for building power among grassroots tenant organizations.Key Takeaways:Tenant protections in Canada have been historically limited and weakened, despite the worsening affordability crisis.The influx of global capital and the rise of large corporate landlords have fundamentally changed the rental landscape, intensifying power imbalances.Effective advocacy for tenants requires not just studying their challenges, but supporting organizing efforts and shifting resources into tenant movements.Grassroots tenant organizers face persistent threats, including rent increases, eviction, and predatory landlord practices—often with few resources.Building lasting power for tenant movements requires civil society and academic sectors to re-channel time, funding, and research toward direct support and organizing.Regulatory interventions to control capital and prioritize tenant protections are essential for meaningful change.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction: Hosts, guest, and episode overview02:00 – The history of tenant rights and rent control in Canada05:00 – The emergence of corporate landlords and the power shift in housing08:00 – Global capital’s influence on the rental market11:00 – Distinguishing research about tenants from research for tenants14:00 – Persistent challenges and the realities of grassroots tenant organizing17:00 – The need for resource redirection and building power in tenant organizing20:00 – Action items, resources, and closing remarksNew Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below:https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/