The COVID-19 pandemic saw tenants face increased housing insecurity, due to many landlords' hiking rents, as well as an increased threat of eviction during lockdowns and slowed economic activity.

[3][4] This compounded with existing factors, such as high rents and poor housing maintenance by landlords[3][4] These issues resulted in the formation of new tenants' advocacy organizations in the form of tenants' unions[3][4] Some tenants' unions considered that local organizing only within their city area had limits whilst many landlords' property portfolios and political influence span beyond that locality.

[1][4][7] Each union sends two representatives to the national leadership team of the TUF.

[3][5] Tara Raghuveer has said that the TUF plans to expand the membership of the federation in 2025.

In the meantime, the TUF is focused on developing training and support for new tenants' organizations.