#SlugStories Commencement 2019 Special Feature "During my time at UC Santa Cruz, I studied the causes and symptoms of the affordable housing crisis in California. My history thesis, "Rent Control and the Fight for Tenant Protections in California," explores the historical implications of gentrification and the displacement of low-income renters, while my field study with Tenants Together shows how renters are currently fighting for their right to stay in their homes. With the housing crisis only getting worse, I hope to shine light on how we can make the most impact by organizing in our communities to make change, and how local movements can have a huge impact on national and global struggles. Currently, I run a tenant counseling program for renters dealing with major problems in their unit that will also develop into a legal aid clinic for renters. I also work with Tenants Together the Action Fund to bolster tenant advocacy at the state level and to support local tenant organizing acr...