Newsletter | July 2023
Hi everyone! It's been a while since we've last updated you all on what we've been up to. We've been busy as usual working with tenants in Albany Park, Chicago, and even across the country. Read on to learn more about some of what we've been up to and ways to plug in.
Fair Tenants Union
The members of the Fair Tenants Union (FTU) have been living in unsafe conditions for far too long in notorious slumlord Gary Carlson's buildings - until a fire in one of Carlson's buildings forced the city and CHA to take action. Following years of negligence and unwillingness to enforce their housing inspections, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) decided to revoke Carlson's contract, leaving dozens of Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, formally known as Section 8) residents having to relocate without support.
After a press conference in front of CHA headquarters downtown, FTU finally got CHA to the table to express their concerns and demands. FTU is asking for consistent and clear communication from CHA, financial support with the move, and help finding places in their community to relocate to. Watch the FOX32 coverage of the press conference here. We recently also held a community BBQ at one of the buildings to get to know each other as neighbors and invite media in to tour the appalling building conditions. Some photos of the BBQ can be found below!
We've still got lots of work to do before tenants can achieve their demands. We need more people to continue to make contact with the tenants living in his roughly 80 apartment buildings. Recently, more new migrants have been placed in his apartments from him. Besides supporting tenants who want to and have to leave, we're advocating for receivership, where a management company takes over management of Carlson's buildings, to reduce his oversight and damage to people's homes. This is currently being discussed in the city's 77 lawsuits against Gary Carlson.
Here's how you can support:
Sign the petition to CHA to maintain their accountability to their tenants & share the petition with others.
Help us canvas! No prior experience necessary. Reply back to this email to learn more about our canvass hours.
Sandra won her lawsuit!
Sandra sued her landlord last year for illegally withholding her security deposit after he forced her to self-evict during the eviction moratorium. After fighting for two years, the judge ruled that the landlord must return her de ella security deposit. You can read more about her campaign in the Chicago Sun-Times .
Asylum Case Justice for Tomás
ATU member Tomás paid the immigration law firm Consumer Law Group $6,300 for his asylum case and without doing any proven work on the case, they dropped him without giving him a refund. We have been fighting to get him his money back but CLG has continued to ignore us. This is not the first time we've heard of CLG scamming immigrants and we advise people to stay away.
To support recently arrived migrants , please contribute to OCAD's mutual aid fund , which will be directly given as cash assistance to migrants. Also, read about how our friends at Christ Lutheran Church are supporting and providing housing to migrants in Block Club Chicago .
