This handbook is for TANC members—old and new—to navigate TANC. We will try to keep it updated as we move forward.
Last updated: November 16, 2020
I. Welcome to TANC!
Welcome to the TANC Member Handbook! TANC, which stands for Tenants and Neighborhood Councils, is a member funded and operated tenants’ union in the Bay Area. TANC is entirely operated by tenants like you, and is democratically ran by member tenants. We define tenant “anyone who does not own their home and does not have power over any other person’s housing situation.” This means that our unhoused neighbors as tenants too.
2. Our Political Vision
We are of the working class. Every fight against encampment eviction, landlords, developers, venture capitalists, and speculators is a fight for our class and thus for ourselves.
TANC’s Platform, Item 1.
TANC has a political platform that was voted in by our membership. You can read the entire platform and constitution here.
3. How We Make Decisions
TANC’s structure is what makes it different than many other housing organizations. Not only does TANC refuse to take money, and therefore become beholden to, rich donors—TANC also has a democratic structure. As a member in TANC, you have a right to propose items and vote on items. We follow the principal of one member, one vote. But, before talking about proposing and voting, we need to think through how decisions are thoughtfully made.
How Decisions Happen
First there is a bright idea.This comes out of discussion or out of somebody’s head. We need to encourage the formation of bright ideas because we need them. Unstructured discussion and brainstorming outside can happen outside of formal meetings—ask TANC members in your next meeting or in your local chat about the idea and see if anyone wants to think through it with you. Remember: bright ideas are vulnerable when first born, so don’t be tough on them. The time to challenge, criticize, amend, argue against, point out unfeasibility—all these things come later. If you jump all over the newly hatched ideas, your chickens will stop laying them.
Next comes the discussion, maturation, clarification. You’ve got a cool idea, but will it work? How could we make it work? This is discussion amongst friends, outside of the local or assembly meetings, before the idea is proposed. Get it thought out well and be able to state it clearly before taking it into the meeting to be proposed.
Next, our little idea, somewhat refined, is proposed in the meeting, discussed, amended, and perhaps passed by the group. For most projects, this will happen at the local level. For larger, TANC-wide projects, this should happen at the TANC Assembly. A proposal will have to include a general idea for who will do it (a new working group?), of how much money the project will cost, and what equipment may be necessary for it to happen. Obviously things will change, but it’s good to think about some of these when you propose it.
Implementation is next. Typically, implementation of TANC-wide proposals (via Assembly vote) will require the establishment of a new working group that is open to all TANC members to join. You’ll want to start a chat for the meeting, add interested TANC members, and plan a first meeting. Remember: decisions should be made democratically by majority vote in the working group. For decisions made at the local level (via Local vote), projects can be ran directly through local meetings, or a special local working group can be formed. Local members should decide how they’d like to do it.
Accountability is next. The committee or local has agreed to do something, maybe by this date. If you’ve made a separate working group, the Assembly or Local need to hear what has happened. Is the job done? If not, why not and when will it be done? Has it gone well? Why or why not? This is the easiest part to let slip, yet if we slack on this, the organization is little more than a flakefest that can’t do anything. We’re screwed.
Reviewing and drawing conclusions or lessons is the last part. Did the project accomplish what we wanted it to? Why or why not? What should we do differently next time? Or, this thing worked really well, so let’s remember to repeat these good procedures. This is how we learn and advance.
Remember to leave a written record of the action and the review and conclusions so we don’t forget, and for the sake of the next wave of fellow tenants who are better off learning from our successes and mistakes than reinventing the wheel. It’s also good to share this stuff with the rest of the union, too, so we can learn and advance together.
Where Decisions Are Made
Decision making happens in two places: at TANC Locals, and at the TANC Assembly.
TANC Locals
TANC locals have are both organizing bodies and decision-making bodies. Locals are able to pursue and support their own projects. Any local member can propose a project in a local meeting. If you want to propose an organizing project or a topic of discussion at your local meeting:
- Reach out to one of your local stewards and let them know. If you don’t know who they are, just say something in the chat.
- Ask the local steward to add the item to the agenda. Be sure to specify if this is something you’d like fellow members to vote on.
- Be ready to speak on your item when it come up in the meeting. Talk about what the idea is, how you think it can be organized, and why you think it’s a good idea.
- Get input from other members. Try to stay open—it could be that other members have questions or reservations. Some of our best projects come from collaboration and will be made stronger by other TANC member input.
- If your item is voted on and passes, think about next steps and ask about next steps in the meeting. In locals, there is often more time to discuss openly and figure out how to move forward together.
TANC Assemblies. Assembly proposals are for projects that are meant to take place throughout the organization, at every or most TANC locals.
- Write a proposal. You can work on this yourself or with other members. If you need help, ask your local chat! If someone else is interested they can help you. Your local onboarding or organizing steward is also a good resource. The format doesn’t matter. What matters is that it has the following items: What is the project? How will this project work? Why should this project happen? How much money will it take?
- Submit the proposal to one of TANC’s elected Membership Coordinators. If you don’t know who they are, just send and email to onboarding@baytanc.com and we’ll get you in touch. Usually proposals have to be submitted at least a week before the assembly, so that it can be circulated to TANC members.
- Speak on the idea at the Assembly. Once you submit a proposal, it will be added to the Assembly agenda. Someone will be expected to present the idea and field questions. This can be you or someone else who worked on the proposal if you’re feeling shy.
4. How We Plug In
Information on our political objectives.