Janatta Evans told the Kentucky Lantern that mice in her subsidized apartment in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and droppings on her stove and in her bed drove her to stay with family and at a hotel. Her experience became part of the push that led tenants at seven nearby properties to form a union.
Here's what to know
Tenants at seven Shelbyville properties owned or managed by Winterwood Inc. launched a tenant union and planned to begin bargaining on Oct. 13, according to the Kentucky Lantern.
Residents said unresolved problems at the properties have included pests and mold, as well as water damage, broken windows, and sewage backing up into an apartment.
Kentucky Tenant Union, formerly the Louisville Tenants Union, helped spark the effort after organizers started knocking on doors in 2026. Members said they did not know each other before that outreach began.
Rather than dealing with management one by one, a tenant union lets renters act together to press for their rights and build bargaining power, similar to a labor union. In Shelbyville, the tenants are seeking a collectively bargained lease with Winterwood, which manages more than 14,000 apartments in eight states.
Winterwood CEO Mike Hynes said in an email that the company's goal is to "meet with and hear from our residents." He also previously told the Lantern that Winterwood is "committed to providing safe, decent and well-maintained housing."
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More background
Several residents said their complaints date back years. Using a cane, union member Jim Toole said he had spent years trying to get a closer parking spot and another unit that would better accommodate pain and mobility issues caused by pinched nerves. He said, "I've been kind of on my own battle with them for the last five years."
Toole said he eventually involved an attorney with the Kentucky Fair Housing Council after management denied the parking accommodation despite a medical request. Art Crosby, executive director of the Kentucky Fair Housing Council, told the Lantern he could not discuss specific cases without permission but said Winterwood is "relatively receptive" to complaints.
The Kentucky Housing Corporation said it provided about $2.22 million in tax-exempt bonds for two Winterwood properties in Shelbyville. Deputy Executive Director Wendy Smith told the Lantern that Shelby Place and Shelby House received high marks on inspections in October 2024, with the next inspections not scheduled until later in 2026 or 2027.
Beyond repair disputes, housing rules can also shape what renters are able to do to lower day-to-day costs. Landlords across the country have faced criticism for blocking money-saving lifestyle changes such as gardening and hanging clotheslines to dry laundry, and lease terms can affect both living conditions and household budgets.
What's being done?
The Shelbyville campaign builds on Kentucky Tenant Union's earlier tenant-organizing efforts in Louisville, Fleming County, Logan County, and Meade County. In 2026, the group said it won a collectively bargained lease for some members with a Texas-based property management company — an agreement it described as the first of its kind in the U.S. South.
Shelbyville tenants said organizing has already produced some movement. Bargaining team member Akira Jordan-Carson said maintenance and upgrades have increased at the properties since the union drive began, but residents want those commitments written into a lease so repairs do not increase only around inspections.
Evans said management did not begin to "play ball" on some issues until her attorney filed a response in the unpaid-rent eviction case, which was later dismissed. Hynes said opening the Oct. 13 meeting to all tenants was meant to give more residents a chance to speak directly, and he asked the union for its governing documents and records showing who was authorized to represent tenants.
For renters hoping to work with landlords or property associations to change established rules — including rules that can block cost-saving habits at home — this resource on changing bylaws can help you get started.
For Jordan-Carson, the stakes are clear: "We want to fight for each other. They're elderly, and they're disabled, and they're low income, and don't have the funds to fix things themselves, and they're not being heard. It's not right."
Where can I learn more?
Renters elsewhere are also pushing back against unsafe housing and landlord neglect. The articles below cover vermin, extreme heat, and other fights over basic living conditions.
• Washington sued Brightwood landlords over no heat, vermin, and alleged retaliation against tenants.
• After Washington's deadly heat dome, renters pushed to make air conditioning a basic right.
• In Arizona, lawmakers proposed regulations to protect renters from dangerous indoor temperatures.
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