Like many, Christine Thao and her partner have found it difficult to deal with the rising cost of living that’s followed the COVID-19 pandemic. She says this has become more costly as she began noticing their landlord tacking on junk fees on top of their rent.

“The consumer price index went up, which gave the landlord an excuse to raise the rent,” Thao says. “But he also started applying random fees that weren’t in our contract.”

Thao says fees started small—with $15 for the water bill—but quickly built up, and are currently $160 a month. She says when she asked their landlord to see the full utility bill to make sense of the changes, she was threatened with eviction.

“We’re on a month-to-month lease so there’s no protection,” Thao says. “We can get evicted for almost any reason, including not paying these fees.”

This and other housing difficulties prompted Thao to become more involved with advocating for tenants’ rights. She currently works as a community organizer with Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), and specializes in engaging with trans and queer-identifying folks in the Sacramento area. HIP is a grassroots organization that seeks to advance social justice and build power with Hmong youth and families through leadership development and multi-generational community organizing in Sacramento and the Central Valley.

Thao says organizing and engaging trans and queer individuals is incredibly important because of their increased risks regarding housing insecurity.

“Trans and queer youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than our straight and cisgender peers,” Thao says.

In Fresno, HIP is promoting local policies aimed at supporting tenants’ rights. Tammy Vang, HIP’s Fresno field manager, details some of the key housing initiatives they’re working on.

“Right now we are prioritizing local rent control and trying to make sure the Eviction Protection Program is being protected,” Vang says. “It is budget season so we’re making sure the EPP is shown in the mayor’s budget proposal.”

The EPP is a city of Fresno program that provides legal services to tenants facing potentially unlawful convictions. At the state level, HIP is also working to support AB 1157 and AB 1248, which aim to curtail rent increases and junk fees, respectively.

HIP also works with other organizations including the Fresno Housing Coalition, which advocates for equitable housing and safety funding through Fresno’s annual budget season.

“We’re really grateful for our partners because we know safe, affordable housing isn’t just a Hmong issue—it’s a crisis across all our communities,” Vang says. “I was born and raised in Fresno. The housing crisis isn’t new here—it’s only gotten worse. I remember my own family having to move constantly. That’s why we need everyone—our coalition partners, friends, and families—to speak out, show up to public meetings, and hold our elected officials accountable.”

Thao adds that it’s important for individuals who, like her, have faced challenges finding and maintaining housing to organize and share their stories.

“These are our real lived experiences that should be shared,” Thao says. “Our communities are facing so many barriers, so many struggles, we need to build relationships, connections, and communities so we can organize together and move policies that protects our human rights.”

To learn more about Hmong Innovating Politics, visit hipcalifornia.com and follow then on social media @hipcalifornia.

Read the full publication here.

Related: Empathy in Action Towards Integration and Inclusion.