Community Alliance of Tenants

What Community Alliance of Tenants does

Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) is a nonprofit tenant advocacy organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The organization educates and empowers Oregon's approximately 1.5 million renters through three integrated service pillars: Tenant Education (Know Your Rights resources, Tenant Power Handbook, bi-monthly Tenant Protection Talks), Tenant Advocacy (direct support via the Renters' Rights Hotline, eviction defense referrals, and state-level policy representation), and Tenant Organizing (building-level groups, tenant leadership cohorts, and coalition advocacy). Services are delivered free of charge to tenants in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and limited Russian and Burmese, across phone, in-person, and virtual channels, with a member base of roughly 6,000 statewide.

CAT operates a community-led go-to-market model: the organization mobilizes tenants through paid leadership development programs, partner referrals (Legal Aid Services of Oregon, APANO, Coalition of Communities of Color, 211info), and grassroots events including an annual member meeting where constituents vote on policy priorities and board leadership. Revenue is derived entirely from grants (Oregon Housing and Community Services, Portland Housing Bureau, Multnomah County, Oregon Community Foundation), individual donations, and modest workshop contracting — there is no fee-for-service pricing. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is staff-intensive and dependent on multilingual human organizers and educators.

The organization has a documented track record of policy influence, having contributed to the passage of Oregon SB608, SB611, and HB2001 and having helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in rent assistance alongside partners. Operationally, CAT has faced material financial stress: the non-renewal of a $1.2 million OHCS grant in FY21-22 triggered a 2023 cost-containment layoff process, reductions in hotline operating hours, and ongoing labor negotiations with the CAT Labor Union (CLU). Current executive leadership is anchored by Executive Director Kim McCarty, a member-elected board, and a unionized workforce.

Name

Community Alliance of Tenants

Legal name

Community Alliance of Tenants

Website

https://oregoncat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Alliance of Tenants is a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 1996 that educates, advocates for, and organizes Oregon's 1.5 million renters through free education, a Renters' Rights Hotline, and policy advocacy, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tenant Advocacy and Housing Rights Services

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAC

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAJALAJ

Specialty & Adaptive-Use Tenant Representation

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Leasing Services (Tenant Representation)

SECONDARYBPAGAEAL

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Tenant advocacy services
• Renters rights education
• Housing policy organizing
• Tenant rights hotline
• Eviction prevention support

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: CAT receives grants from government agencies including Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), Portland Housing Bureau (PHB), and Multnomah County. The organization has experienced funding challenges including non-renewal of a $1.2 million OHCS grant for Fiscal Year 21-22.
2. Donations and Fundraising: CAT conducts annual fundraising campaigns including virtual fundraisers. Their 2024 fundraiser goal was $300,000 to expand critical tenant support services across Oregon. Individual donations are accepted through their website.
3. Foundation Grants: CAT receives grants from private foundations. They received a $30,000 grant from the Ned and Sis Hayes Family Fund of Oregon Community Foundation for general support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Workshop Contracting: CAT offers workshop contracting opportunities for organizations seeking tenant rights training. Independent Contractor Request for Proposals for workshops is available on their website.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Community Alliance of Tenants is a member-led nonprofit that educates and empowers Oregon renters through free tenant education, advocacy, and organizing services. Its core offerings include a Renters' Rights Hotline, multilingual Know Your Rights resources, free renters' rights workshops, and policy advocacy campaigns that have produced state-level tenant protection laws. All services are provided at no cost to tenants, with the organization funded through grants, donations, and foundation support.

Product overview

Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) is a tenant advocacy nonprofit organization in Oregon that operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. CAT's core portfolio consists of three interconnected service areas: Tenant Education (providing Know Your Rights information and the Tenant Power Handbook), Tenant Advocacy (direct support and policy representation), and Tenant Organizing (building collective tenant power through leadership development and coalition work). These services are delivered through multiple channels including the Renters' Rights Hotline, in-person workshops, virtual Tenant Protection Talks, and the Tenant Leadership Cohort training program. The organization serves tenants across Oregon with multilingual resources in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and limited Russian and Burmese.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Renters' Rights Hotline
• Free Renters' Rights Workshops
• Tenant Protection Talks (TPT Talks)
• Tenant Union 101
• Tenant Leadership Cohort
• Know Your Rights Resource Library
• Tenant Power Handbook
• Workshop Contracting Services Contracted tenant rights training workshops delivered to organizations seeking tenant rights education. CAT accepts Independent Contractor Requests for Proposals for workshops and provides interpreter and translation contractor opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped lower rent cap limits through SB611
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Legal Aid Services of OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Partner in free renters' rights workshops conducted in multiple languages. Legal Aid provides legal expertise complementary to CAT's organizing and education work. Joint workshops serve diverse tenant communities including Spanish-speaking populations.
• HAKI (Housing is a Human Right Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Community partner that helped turn out community members for CAT's Annual Member Meeting and provided translation services. HAKI focuses on housing justice and works with CAT on tenant advocacy campaigns.
• Ethiopian and Eritrean Cultural & Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Community partner that helped turn out community members for CAT's Annual Member Meeting and provided translation services for Amharic and Tigrigna speaking community members.
• Sen. Kayse Jama (Senate Housing Committee Chair)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Chair of the Senate Housing Committee who joined CAT's Annual Member Meeting and spoke to members about the importance of organizing for social change. Represents key legislative partner for CAT's policy agenda.
• Vitalidad Movement Arts CenterminorOthers · 19 November 2024Community arts organization that provided salsa lessons at CAT's Annual Member Meeting, helping create an engaging community-building experience.
• Cinco Estrellas PupuseriaminorOthers · 19 November 2024Local business that provided food (pupusas) for CAT's Annual Member Meeting, supporting the community gathering aspect of the event.
• Sharon Gary-Smith (Former Portland NAACP President)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Former Portland NAACP president and CAT member who attended the Annual Member Meeting, representing potential future partnership with civil rights organizations.
• Coalition of Communities of ColorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Led by Marcus Mundy, this coalition joined CAT's call for $100 million in housing stability funding, citing disproportionate impact of Oregon's housing crisis on communities of color.
• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2024Partner in Vietnamese & English Renters' Rights Workshop. APANO serves Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Oregon and partners with CAT to provide culturally-specific tenant education.
• Stable Homes CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Coalition partner in the Fair Shot Coalition's People's Budget proposal for $100 million housing stability and homelessness prevention funding. Part of broader advocacy coalition including Basic Rights Oregon, Fair Shot for All, SEIU, Unite Oregon.
• Portland State University (Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research partner that worked with CAT on tenant surveys during COVID-19 pandemic, documenting housing insecurity and rent debt. Joint research on eviction costs informed policy advocacy.
• PolicyLinkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021National data experts who partnered with CAT on the 'Cancel the Rent' Digital Town Hall, presenting groundbreaking county-by-county renters data and national and local speakers.
• Oregon Law Center / Eviction Defense ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Referral partner for tenants receiving eviction notices. Provides legal representation and defense. CAT directs tenants to their hotline (888-585-9638) or web form for eviction defense assistance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tenants Together: California's statewide tenant rights coalition, providing a directly analogous model of multilingual tenant education, hotline support, policy advocacy, and coalition building — serving as the closest functional peer to CAT.
• City Life/Vida Urbana: Boston-based tenant organizing nonprofit that combines direct tenant defense, leadership development, and anti-displacement policy advocacy in Greater Boston — structurally similar grassroots tenant-rights model.
• ACCE Institute: Los Angeles tenant and worker organizing group combining tenant rights education, foreclosure/eviction defense, and state-level housing policy advocacy through a member-driven base.
• Make the Road New York: Multi-issue organizing group including strong tenant rights/housing justice programs, member leadership development in immigrant communities, and state-level policy advocacy in New York.
• Metropolitan Tenants Organization: Chicago-area tenant rights hotline, education, and organizing nonprofit — directly comparable scope (city/region-wide tenant coalition, hotline-driven service model, Illinois policy advocacy).
• Right to the City Alliance: National alliance of 80+ grassroots tenant and housing justice organizations running member-driven organizing and federal-level advocacy — the closest national peer/umbrella to CAT's coalition model.
• Housing Action Illinois: Illinois statewide tenant/housing coalition combining policy advocacy, tenant education, and coalition building — comparable state-tenant-rights model with hotline and policy work.

Broad incumbents

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: Long-established national policy and research nonprofit focused on affordable rental housing — comparable advocacy mission but operating at federal scale and research depth rather than state-level direct services.

Emerging players

• Anti-Eviction Mapping Project: Data, storytelling, and advocacy project producing eviction mapping and renter profiles; partial overlap with CAT's story-collection and policy research functions rather than direct service delivery.
• Renters Rising Massachusetts: Massachusetts tenant advocacy coalition organizing renters around tenant protections and elections — adjacent geographic and model analog to CAT's "We Rent, We Vote" statewide voter mobilization approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/catoregon
• YouTubefacebook.com/OregonCATs/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/OregonCATs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oregoncat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Alliance of Tenants