Tenants and Workers United (TWU) - Inquilinos Y Trabajadores Unidos (ITU)

Over the course of the past 25 years, TWU has won more than $100 million in living wage jobs, affordable housing, health care, public education resources, and other community benefits through strategic community organizing campaigns.  Our campaigns are chosen and designed to build the collective power and leadership skills of our low-income, primarily immigrant membership while improving the long-term economic stability and quality of life for low-income residents, immigrants and people of color in the region.  A sample of our key accomplishments:

• Immigrant Rights:  In coalition with a number of other organizations, blocking the passage and implementation of 22 anti-immigrant bills that had been proposed in the 2011 Virginia Legislative Assembly.
• High-Quality Public Education for All students:  In response to organized youth and parent demands, Alexandria City Public Schools signed a historic community-school partnership agreement in September 2009 that will eliminate the achievement gap between Latino/a and African American students and their white peers.
• Affordable Housing:  Establishment of and ongoing technical assistance to the 282-unit limited equity Arlandria/Chirilagua Housing Cooperative that provides below market rate housing for low-income and mostly Latino/a residents.  Many past and present residents are active TWU members.
• Low-wage Workers Rights:  Organizing with more than 500 immigrant taxi drivers to reform the anti-driver taxi industry laws in Alexandria and establish the driver-owned and operated Alexandria Union Cab.  AUC is now the second largest cab company in Alexandria with a market value of over $2 million and 234 member-owners.

TWU's Summer Youth Institute

Support youth of color in Alexandria City today!

More about Tenants and Workers United (TWU):

TWU’s mission is to organize low-income communities of color, build power, and help people become change agents who transform systems, advance social justice, and improve the quality of life across Northern Virginia (NOVA). We work with low-wage workers, people of color, immigrants, women, and youth, focusing on community-identified issues such as deeply affordable housing, health equity, education justice, and immigrants' rights. 

1. All people have a right to community, housing, health, and education


2. All communities have the right to control their own resources


3. Power is in collective action.

TWU envisions a society that authentically values every human being and provides the structures, institutions, and systems that make it possible for each person, family, and community to thrive.

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For more information about our community-led work, please visit our website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Who We Are

TWU’s mission is to organize directly impacted, low-income communities of color so people can become change agents in their own lives by addressing the issues they care about. We work with low-wage workers, people of color, immigrants, women, and youth. We strengthen community and build power to ensure we have a seat at the table where decisions that impact our lives are made.

Leadership development is a core pillar of our work. Our members become leaders in their community, focusing on educating and organizing their peers to increase civic engagement and participation in the democratic process. Collectively, we advance social and racial justice by winning changes that will improve our quality of life...