Philadelphia Tenants Union

9 hours ago

"If Philly stops growing in population, it will mean that Philadelphia really is in a housing bubble. Unlike the disastrous bubble a decade ago, this one would fizzle more than pop. Prices will slow, maybe dip down a bit. For recent buyers who suddenly need to move or developers looking to quickly flip properties, that will hurt. But for most residents, the impact will be minimal.

But, if the population continues to rise as people relocate from the suburbs and other cities, yet the city doesn’t see broad job growth, economists say Philly will have a different kind of problem on its hands.

“You move to a permanent plateau of unaffordability like New York or San Francisco, where homeownership is just out of reach for most people and the cost of housing — whether it’s owning or renting — consumes a much higher share of your income than it would in less pricey cities,” said Drexel’s Gillen. “We don't want either of those situations.”

Affordability is a relative concept. If housing prices go up but median incomes rise faster still, Philadelphia will retain its affordable reputation. But if incomes don’t increase—or only increase among newcomers—it will become less and less affordable, perhaps jeopardizing one of the city’s main competitive advantages and alienating many residents." ...

Philadelphia Tenants Union

3 days ago

"Organizations like the Philadelphia Tenants Union offer an example that residents of neighborhoods like Point Breeze who want to put the brakes on gentrification should strive to emulate.

The PTU hosts neighborhood meetings, organizes direct actions with tenants to fight back against slumlords and unfair evictions, and connects tenants with free legal counsel to assist them in landlord-tenant court. They have helped tenants win back security deposits from powerful landlords through direct action and fought off evictions in landlord-tenant court.

The Penn Wynn House, home to the elderly, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, and those who receive housing vouchers, was purchased by Cross Properties in late 2016, with the intention to redevelop it and add a pool and roof deck. With the support of the PTU, tenants demanded the return of their security deposits in full, and a promise that they can stay in their apartments until they find new housing. They pressured their district’s city councilperson, Curtis Jones, to act, and have received a verbal commitment from Cross Properties that they will not be pursuing evictions.

We need to push back the tide of the redevelopment and privatization of working-class communities, and take our fight directly to the rich developers and idle city council. To win housing justice, we need a real movement." ...

Philadelphia Tenants Union

1 week ago

"The Crown Heights Tenant Union (CHTU) is exactly what its name implies—a union in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights based around an organizing model adapted from the labor movement. Instead of depending on unreliable government officials to defend them, CHTU has decided to push for collective bargaining agreements between tenants and landlords that would write protections for tenants directly into the deeds of rented buildings.

CHTU’s ultimate goal is to negotiate a neighborhood-wide contract between landlords and tenants that would regulate future rent increases (and impose a five-year rent freeze on all units), codify standards on repairs and renovations, guarantee automatic lease renewals and protect tenants from displacement and harassment, putting the brakes on skyrocketing rents that have forced many long-time residents to leave the neighborhood." ...