Tampa, FL – Tampa residents gathered outside of city hall to celebrate International Workers Day. Cries could be heard from all in attendance to demand safe and affordable housing for all. The ongoing rent crisis in Tampa has hit working class people hard, as many people are being pushed out of their homes with rent prices skyrocketing. Rent prices have risen extremely quickly, reaching over 38% higher prices than last January.

May Day, a historic day of workers struggle, began in in 1886 with a fight for the eight-hour work day.

Bill Aiman, of Tampa Bay Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated “Workers in this country are constantly under attack by the ruling class. Anything that we win they will attempt to take away from us. The lack of affordable housing is just another aspect of these attacks. We need a fighting workers movement to push back against these attacks. In the spirit of 1886 we need a militant workers movement because that is what's going to win our liberation.”

The average Tampa resident needs three minimum wage jobs in order to pay their rent. Despite these horrific conditions for renters, the city council and Mayor Jane Castor refuse to put into effect any form of rent control or declare a housing state of emergency. It is clear that these city officials do not have working class people's interests in mind. Despite this, the people of Tampa refuse to sit by and watch quietly as these attacks on working-class people continue.

Jerrica Hoey attended the protest and said, “I come out to May Day events every year. I think it's super important to show solidarity with workers and fight against the rent increases that have been occurring this year. People are suffering, losing their homes, I have had two friends in the last week move out of state because they cannot afford to live here anymore. We have to fight back.”

As the fight for rent control continues it is important we stay militant, fighting back against these attacks on workers’ rights to accessible housing. The working-class people of Tampa will continue to fight for affordable and safe housing until the fight for housing for all is won.

The rally was organized by Tampa Bay Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) in conjunction with Tampa Bay SDS, Tampa Tenants Union, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Peoples Council of Tampa, and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee.

#TampaFL #Labor #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights #rentControl

Tampa is among the cities facing the worst of the national housing crisis. Tampa ranks ninth worst in the world for decrease in housing affordability. Renters in the city spend 42% of their income on housing, a 6% increase from 2017 during a time of rising inflation and stagnant wages. In 2022, affordable housing listings decreased by 46% while housing prices increased by 26%. More people in Tampa are at risk of losing their housing.

As the housing crisis worsens, community groups have united to demand housing for all. People’s Council Tampa, a coalition of Tampa activists and concerned residents, was launched on January 5 to stop rent increases and evictions. People’s Council Tampa and many community groups demanded that the Tampa city council pass a Tenants Bill of Rights. Later, they demanded the city also declare a “housing state of emergency”, which would help pave the way for a rent control ordinance.

The Tampa city council had its first reading of a Tenants Bill of Rights on January 13, with a majority of council members in support (6-1). The bill contained anti-discrimination measures and required giving tenants a list of resources. At the second reading on February 3, many council members flipped their vote to be against the bill of rights (4-2) after emails from local landlords and lawyers. The backlash against the council’s rejection of the Tenants Bill of Rights was strong enough for the city council to flip again, and they voted in favor unanimously on February 17.

Seeing the efficacy of public support, People’s Council Tampa and a dozen other groups agreed to mobilize to the next city council meeting on February 24 and demand Tampa declare a “housing state of emergency.” Over 100 people attended, with 50 speaking on the need for rent control to stop the housing crisis. While the city council did accept there was a “crisis” at that meeting, members rejected the idea of a rent control ordinance.

Although the fight to pass a rent control ordinance was not over, more issues with the city council emerged. Councilman John Dingfelder resigned in March as part of a public records lawsuit. Weeks later, Council Chair Orlando Gudes faced a hostile work environment lawsuit and immediate pressure from Mayor Jane Castor to resign. Gudes stepped down as council chair in response but is still a council member – for now. Mayor Castor’s administration is in charge of prosecution in both lawsuits. In Gudes’ case, the Castor administration was aware of the allegations in 2020 but did not pursue legal action until the end of 2021. Castor’s administration also revealed the accuser’s identifying information in a statement about the case. Both lawsuits have increased hostility between the mayor and city council.

Another part of this division is Mayor Castor’s public and firm rejection of rent control, a contrast to city council’s more receptive stance. The Coincidentally, Castor receives a large part of her PAC funds from landlords and developers. While Tampa city council at first voted against the Tenants Bill of Rights after landlords objected, they did pass the bill weeks later.

Despite Mayor Castor’s anti-rent control stance and city council controversy, a rent control ordinance is still possible. To replace Dingfelder, city council chose Amanda Lynn Hurtak, who has stated that her main concern is addressing the housing crisis. City councilmembers like Gudes have voiced support for rent control in the past. If five members of the city council vote in favor of rent control, the ordinance would automatically pass with the mayor unable to veto it.

The Tampa community is responsible for the Tenants Bill of Rights and an ordinance requiring six months’ notice for rent increases, although these are concessions from city council instead of the main demand of rent control. These concessions are not a sign to give up on solving the housing crisis, but encouragement to work even harder. Tampa city council can pass a rent control ordinance with enough community support.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s May Day Rally for Housing is part of this struggle to get housing for all. As midterm elections approach, protesting for an end to the housing crisis with rent control is necessary to build massive public support. If a large part of the Tampa community demands rent control and nothing less, the Tampa city council would have no choice but to act.

#TampaFL #EconomicCrisis #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights

Tenants in Milwaukee march and rally for an eviction freeze

Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of August 1, around 70 people gathered at the Washington Park Senior Center to demand an end to home evictions and to cancel the mortgages and rents. The action was organized by the recently formed Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union (MATU), a collection of tenants from around the city looking to fight back against the looming crisis of evictions brought on by loss of jobs and income due to the coronavirus pandemic.

MATU organizer Robert Penner gave a speech which highlighted the central role played by Berrada Properties and its owner, Youssef “Joe” Berrada, in the recent swell of evictions since the initial freeze was lifted in June. Nearly 20% of all evictions in the city since June have been tenants living in units owned by Berrada.

After the speech, protesters followed a modest car caravan through Washington Park and several blocks in the Washington Heights neighborhood. Chants of “Cancel the rents! Cancel the mortgages!” and “Tenant power is worker power!” rang through the streets as people came out onto their porches and the sidewalk to snap pictures and show support. At the front of the march, protesters carried a banner that had pictures of notorious Milwaukee slumlords painted on it, dubbed the “Landlord Wall of Shame.”

The march ended as the protesters came upon the lavish home of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Everyone gathered in the median in the shadow of Barrett’s house to listen to the story of Jacquee Clark, a leader with MATU and someone with intimate knowledge of the predatory practices of Berrada Properties. Clark was unfairly evicted from a unit owned by Berrada in 2019. She spent the better part of the last year trying to get back on her feet and was forced to pay double the security deposit at her current residence because of the eviction on her record.

“The event today is a long time coming. You know, Milwaukee has been known for their notorious eviction practices,” Clark said. “Now with the big pandemic it’s worse, and it’s just really not fair because, particularly, it impacts people of color and low-income and poor people in the city of Milwaukee. I would love to see the moratorium actually be reenacted. 60 days was not enough time.”

Clark continued, “In the city of Milwaukee, where we have the largest population of low-income people of color in Wisconsin, forcing people out of their houses, it’s not fair. Even those who own homes during this pandemic. It should not even be a question, you know? It should not even be a second thought. Stay in your homes until this pandemic is under some type of control.”

MATU has a list of five demands that they are organizing around. These include: 1) An indefinite evictions freeze with no late fees or back-rent; 2) The enforcement of state law against landlords harassing and retaliating against tenants; 3) Make charging double security deposits for people with evictions on their record illegal; 4) Creation of a tenants’ court separate from civil court to guarantee tenants’ rights and provide free council; and 5) Remove COVID-19 evictions from tenant’s records and all prior evictions that have been satisfied.

With the end of the $600 benefit provided to people on unemployment due to COVID as of July 26, more and more working-class people in Milwaukee – particularly predominantly Black and brown communities on the North and South sides – will be at the mercy of predatory landlords. The organizing being done by the Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union will only become more important over the coming weeks and months.

#MilwaukeeWI #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights #COVID19PandemicAid #MilwaukeeAutonomousTenantsUnionMATU #Slumlord

New York, NY – On April 9, organizers from New York Community Action Project (NYCAP) hosted an live stream about tenant rights and organizing under COVID-19.

Two housing lawyers and NYCAP members provided information on tenant rights and discussed how tenants can organize effectively in light of COVID-19. This included how to safely organize a rent strike. In this discussion, NYCAP member Daniel Espo emphasized the importance of “coordinated mass action” in order to affect change, rather than spontaneous individual action.

The organizers also shared a resource document, https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xX6Z8rlejchirXI8AzMdXvGpfUkEZJx96aAdVoB-OA/edit?usp=sharing

NYCAP continues to organize a campaign demanding that Governor Cuomo suspend all New Yorkers’ rent payments for 90 days. He has failed to act thus far, but local organizers are continuing to put pressure on the government to suspend rent and prioritize people’s lives over profit.

#NewYorkNY #Healthcare #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights #COVID19 #NewYorkCommunityActionProjectNYCAP

Houston, TX – In Sunnyside, a predominantly African American neighborhood in southeast Houston, a local slumlord has taken action against his tenants at Crestmont Village Apartments, evicting them and turning off their power. For years, the landlord did not take care of the apartment units and so the apartments have become infested with cockroaches and mold, posing health risks. Instead of maintaining the apartments, the slumlord is closing them and trying to kick out all the tenants.

The tenants have been left in grueling conditions, without the basic necessities to live. Since their electricity was shut off, families were left without the ability to store or prepare food, and therefore many of them went hungry. They face continual police harassment, and have been told that they have to leave by the 8th of October, or they will be arrested.

While the city is helping some families relocate and has provided some relief, most of the families will have nowhere to go once they are evicted. The city’s response, overall, has been poor and slow.

As a result of these deplorable conditions, a number of organizations, including the National Black United Front (NBUF), the People’s New Black Panther Party, Out of the Flames of Ferguson and other local activists have come out in support of the tenants. NBUF held a BBQ on Sept. 24, and many of the activists have been making daily trips with food, water, toiletries and other supplies.

When we visited the apartments, the tenants had not eaten all day and children were jumping with joy at the presence of food. One resident said, “In the evening, the police become more aggressive and harass the residents. While the power was turned back on this morning, we were left without electricity for two weeks, and the landlord has made continual threats to have the power shut off again.” Although it is September, this is still one of the hottest times of the year, and one of the warmest summers on record, making life without AC absolutely miserable.

Brother Yahcanon, chairman of the Houston People’s New Black Panther Party said, “I am very grateful for the Dominican Sisters for their ongoing support of Crestmont Village Apartments. When Hurricane Katrina happened, the city of Houston helped many of the victims find food and shelter; while we are thankful for their support, they need to bring the same level of support to the victims at Crestmont Village Apartments. “

#HoustonTX #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights

Here is what some of those marching with STOP had to say:

Angalique Rollins, 14-year-old high school student in Woodlawn

“I thought it was a great example of people working together to make something better in the world. Some people thought it wasn’t really important, but I told them it was something to really fight for because some of these people look just like your family and your friends so why wouldn’t you go support them? I heard a lot of people talking about how, ‘OK they can go and do that but if black people went down there they would get beat up,’ so the people in my neighborhood weren’t that positive but I think it is a great thing to go fight for. Some people looked surprised that there were black people out there but they looked like they were happy that we were there. I think that building coalitions is really great, this city and the world needs different races to come together.”

Wardell Lavender, 65-year-old Woodlawn activist:

“The march was beautiful, everybody marched like soldiers for the struggle for all peoples. We have to do it that way, together as one. The African-Americans and Latinos need to march side by side. This might give people in our community an initiative to unite just like the Latinos, so we can show force in numbers. People sometimes say that, ‘they’re just coming to take our jobs, they should stay in their country,’ but some people begin to understand that people from all over the world are being displaced and need to look for a country that can offer a job, something so they can take care of their family – where there’s opportunity they go. I think that it is important that Latino and African-American communities unite and not have this stereotype that ‘they’re taking our jobs away,’ we need to get over that fear, that stereotype and realize that we are stronger together.”

Lonnie Richardson, 66-year-old tenant council president:

“I was glad to be a part of this. The experience I had seeing the different nationalities of people, that’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve had. It gave a lot of energy being there as a group, we learned how to shout slogans in Spanish, and being there with our kids I learned a lot and was impressed with how much they learned. The immigrants being used as cheap labor takes me back to how this country was built on our backs as black people through slavery. The government’s been on the backs of people of color and it’s about time we demonstrate that we’re all tired of it.”

Ebonee Stevenson, organizer:

“This was one of the most kick-ass events I have participated in in my whole life. It’s hard when you work in one individual organization in one small little community but when you see people from all over come together for a common cause it’s just great to know that you’re not alone in the fight.”

#ChicagoIL #News #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights #STOP #immigrantRights

But people who thought the cycle of deterioration and gentrification was inevitable are being woken up by the thump of marching feet and the choruses of voices that refuse to be silenced. Tenants with the Student/Tenant Organizing Project (STOP) are taking action against the deterioration and displacement caused by city officials like Mayor Daley, private developers like East Lake Management and large institutions like the University of Chicago.

“Mayor Daley needs to know, condo conversion’s got to go!”

Tenants in a building in the Hyde Park neighborhood facing a condo conversion decided it was time to take it to the streets and invite along their neighbors. The Metropolitan Tenants Organization invited STOP-organized tenants in the neighboring Woodlawn community to join them in a march against condo conversions, Sept. 30.

After the march, STOP organizer and Kimbark Tenants Association member Ebonee Stevenson spoke at the rally, telling the crowd, “Me and my neighbors organized and stopped our five subsidized buildings in Woodlawn from going condo last year and forced HUD to step in and make the owners fix our apartments. Tenants everywhere need to stand together to defend our homes.”

“Ignore us once, ignore us twice, East Lake’s askin’ for a fight!”

On International Housing Rights day, Oct. 2, STOP tenants from Washington Square Tenants Association were joined by other STOP members and allies from around the city for a protest at East Lake Management’s Michigan Avenue headquarters. Fed up with leaky windows, unfinished hallways and broken elevators, tenants decided that three months of unanswered demands meant it was time to make themselves heard.

“I think the march on East Lake showed them that we’re not playing and that we mean business,” said tenant Brenda Blanks. Tenants are still angry because East Lake has only addressed a few of their concerns. “Yeah they are meeting our demand for better security by replacing the security company, but here is November and they’ve only replaced one window. They told me they will replace my carpet, but only once their contractor is done somewhere else. This struggle isn’t over yet,” says Ms. Blanks.

Tenants at City Hall: “Don’t push out the poor!”

On Oct 4, STOP tenants joined Beauty Turner, leader of the Poor People’s Millennium Movement to take the fight to City Hall. “We’re here to tell you, stop sending your shameful waste to the suburbs, stop pushing the poor out of the city,” said Ms. Turner. Public housing as well as subsidized housing tenants denounced the policies that are pushing the poor out of the city. They told the press about injustices such as tearing down of public housing, restricting where Section 8 voucher holders can move and cutting out subsidized tenants’ voices from decisions that are affecting their lives at project-based complexes like Grove Parc Plaza Apartments.

“We the people need to be more conscious and aware of what’s going on politically around us and who’s in authority and who really is saying what is to be did and not just take for granted that someone who owns or manages property will do right by their tenants. This is our homes, but just a job for them. We aren’t just coming together for a just cause concerning housing we are coming together for the sake of humanity,” says Ms. Annette Williams, a tenant at Grove Parc.

HUD tenants at Grove Parc Apartments: “We’re taking our power back”

A week later several tenants representing the Grove Parc Tenants Association went to the Palmer House Hilton Hotel where policymakers and banks were holding the National Housing Conference. They were kicked out just for trying to deliver a letter and petitions to Alphonso Jackson, the Bush-appointed national secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The petitions and letter made their way directly onto Mr. Jackson’s lap nonetheless.

HUD is threatening to foreclose on the 500-unit Grove Parc Apartments because of conditions but tenants are organizing to make sure their voices are heard from start to finish and that the subsidies are preserved. Tenants are demanding a seat at the table with the owners (an organization called WPIC), the University of Chicago (which has two representatives on the WPIC’s board) and HUD.

Tenant Council president for the 740 and 742 buildings at Grove Parc, Lonnie Richardson, says, “The positive thing is that we have gotten this leadership team together now, and now that the family units have started organizing and then we’re coming together as one to unite. We are doing things for ourselves, raising our own voices. The reason we are in the shape we are in now is because at complexes like Grove Parc management does anything they want to if people let it happen. Protesting and coming together like this to demand a seat at the table, they don’t think we can do this, they think the low-income are tearing it down, they don’t ever see the positive side of the community. But we are taking our power back.”

#ChicagoIL #CapitalismAndEconomy #HousingStruggles #tenantsRights #STOP #ParcGrove