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Tenants' union spans 35-year `U' history

The 1960s are generally thought of as a decade of action and a time that brought about positive change. One of the outcomes of this activism was the creation of the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union to combat substandard off-campus living conditions at the University.

"Our purpose back in the day is the same as our purpose now," said AATU coordinator Pattrice Maurer. "We want to empower our tenants to take action, we provide them with their options and choices, and with our support."

The group estimates that about 2,000 student housing establishments, in addition to members of the community, use AATU's counseling line every year.

"The AATU was created by students for students," Maurer said. "It benefits all students."

LSA sophomore Paul Dewitt called AATU when the cold weather hit and his apartment was left without heat.

"Our landlord never responded to our calls," Dewitt said. "The AATU told us about what we could do to get his attention, and who to call to get our heat working. They were incredibly supportive and helpful."

"The AATU really takes their job seriously," said Lucy Edwards, an LSA junior. "My roommates and I had questions about our lease, some of the clauses did not make sense. We talked to the AATU about it and they told us what we had the right to negotiate with our landlord. They helped us save a lot of time and money down the line."

However, AATU's past has not been free of criticism. In 1990, with a new wave of student leaders, the Michigan Student Assembly approved a two-thirds cut of the student funding. There were also claims that AATU funneled money to another housing group in Ann Arbor, the Housing Homeless Action Committee, of which the AATU coordinator was a member.

As a result of the accusations, money approved for AATU through MSA now goes only toward services that benefit University students. Funds to aid non-students must be obtained through donations, grants and fund-raisers.

Today, about 60 percent of AATU clients are students, while only half of their funding comes from MSA.

A $0.25 fee included in University tuition goes to fund AATU services.

"Relations with MSA are really amicable now," said Amelia Tuminaro, president of the AATU board. "We're really working together to do our part, on both sides. And so far, we're doing really well this year.

"We have had a high volume of student interaction and are serving our tenants to the best of our abilities."

AATU serves a valuable purpose within the University community, Maurer said.

"The AATU has really succeeded in fulfilling its niche within the community," she said. "It provides a bridge between the students and the city, which aids in campus-community communication. The AATU really is people on all different levels working together to provide a suitable living environment."

Maurer said finding affordable housing was not easy before 1968. Students would frequently wait outside The Ann Arbor News building when the paper published rental information, and then race to apartment sites, Maurer said.

The housing problem for students in Ann Arbor was declared one of the worst in the nation, for its insufficient conditions and fraudulent landlords, Maurer said.

A group of University students, tired of the inadequate conditions and expensive rent, formed AATU in 1968. The group immediately organized a city-wide rent strike to reduce prices and improve conditions.

Within the first few years, AATU attracted national attention. It set up the first 24-hour tenant counseling line to answer questions about tenants' rights and landlord troubles.

Today, with much-improved conditions, the hotline operates for 45 hours per week, and still provides the same purpose.

It was not until the 1970s that AATU registered as a student group through MSA. The administrative board included a student majority and various community members. They focused their attention on modifying the Ann Arbor housing code to monitor and protect their clients.

From then on, AATU continued to expand its services to its current state. They began to publish a quarterly newspaper and a variety of educational material to be dispersed around Ann Arbor. They saw the creation of their weekly radio show, "Tenant Talk," and continued personal consultation with students.

"Students tend to get taken advantage of in the housing process," Maurer said. "Landlords tend to think that behind every young student is a parent with deep pockets. Our main goal is to provide the tools and information to solve housing problems, and to inform tenants of their rights regarding landlords."