It’s a Wednesday night in Brooklyn Center, and the tenants of Sonder Point are convened in a communal space on the first floor. The air conditioning system in the room is malfunctioning, so the door is wide open. The room isn’t the only thing that’s simmering.

Anger has long been acknowledged as a tool for achieving justice. Aristotle wrote that anger was an impulse against injustice. And the tenants of Sonder Point are doing just that — using their frustrations to drive change.

A tenant council is a gathering of residents of a particular complex that focuses on improving the quality of life for those residents and their neighbors. These groups often meet on weekly or monthly schedules to discuss issues and strategies.

At Sonder Point, anger brings residents to tenant council meetings, and solidarity keeps them there. At their monthly meetings, tenants discuss rent hikes, a lack of management accountability, blocked rent portals, safety issues, and money orders.

These meetings culminated in action when residents testified during the Public Comments session of a Brooklyn Center City Council meeting. Despite donning neon signs demanding answers and having written two strong speeches, the tenants walked away disappointed, without much closure.

At the meeting after the City Council speeches, treasurer Miss Mary handmade labels for the water bottles. They read “Sonder Point Resident Council” on the front, and on the back, a series of affirmations. This small gesture was infinitely meaningful to the people of the council.

Beyond the water bottle, the tenant council puts what little funds they have towards cards for those in grief and gifts for those celebrating birthdays. At each meeting, tenant leaders always take the time to welcome those attending for the first time with a round of applause.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about resident councils or in volunteering to support ACER’s work with tenants, contact ACER at info@acerinc.org.