Easthampton tenants form union, push back on rent hikes and score early legal wins

Members of the Easthampton Tenants Union told Pioneer Valley Life that a series of tenant-organized actions last year helped stop or reduce planned rent increases and produce settlements that allowed some tenants to remain in their homes.

"It started last winter," said Eileen Roysman of the Easthampton Tenants Union. Roysman said an ice dam and subsequent building damage in her eight-unit building prompted tenants to email their landlord together, which eventually led neighbors to organize and pressure the owner for repairs and fairer rents. "Having everybody on the email all at once kind of got his attention," she said.

The group said the situation escalated when they discovered the building had been sold to a firm they identified as Hurricane Properties. "We started doing some research and it made us very scared," Roysman said, describing concerns that an out-of-state investor would pursue large rent increases.

Alex Tracy Dunger, who lives at Rail Trail Apartments, described a similar pattern after that complex was sold in 2016 to a company called North Harlo. "My rent was going up $100 and $150 a year," Dunger said, later noting his rent rose from about $650 to $1,300 after successive increases. He said a March 2025 increase of $200 and later notices proposing still higher rates prompted tenants to organize and seek legal advice.

Organizers said they connected with regional groups including Springfield No One Leaves and received volunteer legal support from attorney Joel Feldman. That combination of local organizing, public rallies and legal assistance led to mediation in several cases, the guests said. Roysman said two tenants who faced eviction notices "won their cases" after mediation, were allowed to stay, received minimal rent increases and were awarded damages as part of a settlement.

The union said it formalized into a citywide group that meets weekly in the Easthampton city council chambers and that attendance has climbed to about 30–33 people. Meetings are now held Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m., organizers said. The group also maintains a website, eastamptonunion.org, which they use to post legal resources and organize outreach.

Speakers raised broader concerns about how market-setting tools and private-equity purchases affect local rents. "There was software called RealPage. ... It will even tell [landlords] like not only do you set the rate at this extremely high rent, but if you can't fill that unit, you should leave it vacant to drive down supply," Roysman said, arguing such practices can raise local rent floors.

The guests also described a pattern of landlords issuing increases in late November with the explanation that a November 2026 Massachusetts ballot question on rent stabilization might be retroactive to January 2026; landlords, they said, argued they needed to raise rates now to avoid being locked into below-market rents if the measure passed. Dunger said some tenants responded by continuing to pay the old rate; others received 30-day notices to quit.

Organizers emphasized that Massachusetts law protects many tenant actions. "If you engage in one of those actions and the landlord attempts to retaliate against you, it is presumed to be retaliation unless they can prove otherwise," Roysman said, summarizing the group's legal orientation and why they encourage tenants to document and assert their rights.

The union described outreach beyond Easthampton: organizers said they have shared tactics with groups in Northampton, Greenfield and Springfield and that their model has inspired others to start tenant unions. "We have real-world experiences as well as good legal advice," Roysman said.

The guests urged tenants to learn their rights and to use collective action to seek reasonable rents and maintenance. The Easthampton Tenants Union meets weekly and posts resources online at eastamptonunion.org.

The interview concluded with the host naming the guests as Eileen Roysman and Alex Tracy Dunger of the Easthampton Tenants Union and directing listeners to the union website for more information.