1931-1933 New York City rent strikes

The 1931-33 New York City rent strikes were a series of tenant mobilizations against evictions and for housing relief by tenants of Harlem, Bronx and Brooklyn, sparked in large part by the crisis of the Great Depression alongside the expiration of the Emergency Rent Laws in 1929. Organizing was led primarily by the Communist Party USA Unemployed Councils, with tenants of the United Workers Cooperative playing an important supporting role for strikers.

The strikes led to open conflict between tenants and police attempting eviction. Eviction resistance also developed at this time as a strategy separate from rent strikes. This conflict became more prevalent in 1932, which was followed by a widespread crackdown. To which the Communist Party would change their tactics, focusing on organizing sit-in's of Home Relief Bureaus to demand rent relief but also having greater coordination of affiliated organization to support the rent strikes, and employing neighborhood marches of striking tenants, which furthered their scope and effectiveness.

This was then met with an even greater crackdown with the implementation of criminal conspiracy charges against strikers, that eventually broke any expansion of rent strikes. However, the sit-in's of Home Relief Bureau's continued and proved effective at ameliorating the rent crisis for tenants, while the roll out of New Deal projects began addressing the immediate unemployment crisis. In addition the eviction resistance tactics also continued and still proved effective. The strikes would also establish a broader base of legislative organizing around housing issues.