In 2021, the tenants at Westminster Village Apartment began facing serious problems in our homes. Water would cut out without warning, leaving us unable to flush toilets, cook, or shower. Electricity outages were just as common. We had to stockpile water in jugs just to get by. Then came the rent hikes and surprise charges for thousands in back rent. It started to feel like management was letting things fall apart on purpose — perhaps hoping we’d give up and leave.
But we didn’t. Instead, 78 households came together to form the WestminsterTenantsUnion — the first tenants union in Lexington, and the beginning of a powerful tenant-led movement in our city. That decision changed everything.
Since organizing, we’ve already secured meaningful wins: interpretation services at the office, more than $20,000 in long-overdue repairs, and — most importantly— a sense of power and unity we didn’t have before…