1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to it could happen here a podcast where you 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,799 Speaker 1: all keep telling me that we keep doing depressing episodes 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: and we never do any episodes that aren't dumerism. So 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: today this is a podcast about how you can find 5 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: the people who are making your life really bad and 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: make bad things happen to them instead. And with me 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: to talk about how this has been done and also 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: can be done, is Janet you who is a tenant 9 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: organizer with the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development in l 10 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: A and A. Here's another tenant organizer and leader at 11 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: Northside Villa um A. Janis, thank you so much for 12 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: joining us. Thank you. Yeah, and that's health Side VideA 13 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: Healthside via. Sorry, So this is what happens when I 14 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: have m R I brand. I guess okay, So the 15 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: first thing I want to sort of walk through is 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: basically can can can you describe the win you all 17 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 1: had a couple of weeks ago? Yeah, I can go 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,959 Speaker 1: ahead and start and then and I if you want 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: to fill in at all. Um So, a couple of 20 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: weeks ago we were able to successfully push our city 21 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: council to approve alone to acquire hills Iddea from slum 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: lord tom Bots, and so just to make it clear, 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: this isn't the end of the fight. We have not 24 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: fully appropriated tom Bots at the moment, but this is 25 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: a huge victory and commitment from the city to take 26 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: the building from him. So it was really really exciting 27 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: for all of us, you know. I guess one thing 28 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: I want to clarify from the outset is that a 29 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: lot of the reporting about it seemed like a lot 30 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 1: of the reporting about it was saying that the city 31 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: had had voted to use them in the domain and 32 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: they have not done that, which is my understanding. Yeah. Yeah, 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: So to clarify that part two the motion that was 34 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: past it does include that eminent domain will be used 35 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: if the landlord does not willingly sell, which he most 36 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: likely will not of course, Yeah, exactly, so he's not 37 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: gonna will if you sell his building. It does include 38 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: that it will be used in as part of the pathway, um, 39 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: but it does not specifically past the eminental main piece, 40 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: so that will be something that we will probably have 41 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: to organize around. Um. Yeah, and if I'm understanding correctly, 42 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: then understand that that requires a second vote, right, yeah, 43 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: But I guess okay, for first off, also congratulations, this 44 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: rules us really exciting. UM. Yeah, And I guess the 45 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: second thing I wanted to ask about was how how 46 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: this organizing process started and how are you able to 47 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: do this because this is a this is a rare 48 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: massive w yeah mm hmm. Yeah, so this has been 49 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: a three year struggle, UM, and I can give a 50 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: little bit of context around how how it got started 51 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: and then maybe Ana you can take it from there. UM. 52 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: So basically, Hillside Via is part of a massive amount 53 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: of buildings that were built in the eighties, UM using 54 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: different kinds of federal and state subsidies. UM. And basically, yeah, 55 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: it was UM subsidies that were used to fund private 56 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: developers to keep buildings affordable for a temporary period of time, 57 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: so using affordable housing covenants and so Hillsides covenant expired 58 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen after thirty years of being kept affordable 59 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: for the tenants. And as soon as that happened, UM, 60 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: the landlord of course tried to increase the rent to 61 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: market rate, so folks were receiving up to two rent 62 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: increases mm hmm. Yeah. So you know, to actually like 63 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: talk about what those numbers are people who are paying 64 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: eight hundred dollars for rent were now being asked to 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: pay liked, so that's a de facto eviction, right, and um, 66 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: as soon as that happened, there's actually this like origin 67 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: story that I really love is that one of our 68 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: tenant leaders, Leslie, who's uh bilingual like Spanish and English speaker, 69 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: she came up to a tenant who is a monolingual 70 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: Cantonese speaker, held up one of the rent increases, ripped 71 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: it to shreds, and the Benson, our Cantonese tenant leader, 72 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: just said okay. And that's like one of the origin 73 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: stories that really just shows like how um, yeah, like 74 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: oppositional our tenants were from the beginning. Um. And then 75 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: what happened was that another tenant leader, Luisa, who actually 76 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: has since passed away due to COVID, she actually called 77 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: all the news stations in l A just blew this 78 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: the funk up and um yeah, and then that's how 79 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 1: organizers kind of got involved and maybe a I you 80 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: can share your personal experience of going through all of this, 81 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: yeah for sure. UM. So about right, a little before 82 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: the association was started at Hillside Villa, Um, we had 83 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: been living here for about seven years and at that time. UM. 84 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,679 Speaker 1: So I was working with my mom at the time, 85 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: and we went out um in the morning for work. 86 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: We came back around the afternoon, UM to find that 87 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: we couldn't get into our apartment. Our keys were actually um, 88 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: they weren't going into the locks. So we went to 89 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 1: the manager's office and asked them, like why our key 90 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: wasn't working. So they sent management up to our our 91 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: floor and UM, they told us that we had been 92 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: evicted and that we couldn't like go back and yeah, 93 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: that we couldn't go back into our apartment. UM. So 94 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 1: it's just just within that one MM that one morning, 95 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: you know, our whole pretty much our whole life was 96 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: like flipped upside down. UM. They told us that they 97 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: actually worked unfortunately with them, and I think this is 98 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: a very common UM thing is that UM landlords UM 99 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: work directly with the Sheriff's department. So the sheriff department 100 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: came and switched out our lock. UM. So we were 101 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: pretty much uprooted. UM that day. UM, we had to 102 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: figure out like what to do. UM. We were all 103 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: separated like that day, we all, you know, my sister 104 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: went to her friend's house, my mom had to go 105 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 1: rent a hotel to stay with her husband, and then 106 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: I went to my partner's house. So that lasted about 107 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: two to three days. And in those two to three 108 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: days we were personally. I started looking up tenant law 109 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: as tenant rights, and we found thanks to to a 110 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: friend UM, she recommended the Eviction Defense Network, who provides 111 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: UM free lawyers for UM tenants facing UM eviction in 112 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: l A. So they heard us up with a lawyer 113 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: and UM they found that UM the eviction had actually 114 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: been an illegal eviction. And then we all we also 115 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: had like the paperwork to show that that it was 116 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: an illegal eviction. So UM we threatened to suit UM 117 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: the landlord and because of that, he dropped the case 118 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: and led us back in to our apartment after like 119 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: three or four days or something like that from what 120 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: I can remember, UM, but in those days it was 121 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: it was UM really enraging obviously, like who wouldn't be 122 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: like super piste off at this, like it would boil 123 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: your blood, you know, and and it did UM. And 124 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: that's one of the things that like UM kind of 125 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: made me UM very much so more involved in like 126 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: tenant rights and and UM organizing UM and then also 127 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: like just to throw this in a little more detail. Um, 128 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: when we were locked out, um, they actually locked our 129 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: animals in in CD apartment so we couldn't even get 130 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: our dogs right away. Oh my god, did they like 131 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: were they okay? Like did you were able to like 132 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: was anyone feeding them? Like? They weren't there all the 133 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: three days I think we were. We had to like 134 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: really like push for them to open up the apartment 135 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: so that we can get them like the day of um. 136 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 1: But then like we couldn't just like grab all our things, um, 137 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: including like medication that was like for my mom's husband 138 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: who has a diabete ease and whatnot. So I think 139 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: that was like the first time we acted as a 140 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: family to like not let um someone pretty much bully 141 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: and harass us into a forced eviction that was completely 142 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:23,679 Speaker 1: illegal um. And that's within that time. It was also 143 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: happening to all the tenants around us. I mean there 144 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: was the word was going all over the apartment. I 145 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: mean you you could see management was doing a cash 146 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: for keys um, which is also an illegal tactic for 147 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: um landlords to do. And um they were trying Yeah, um, 148 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: so cash for keys um. It's probably going to be 149 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: like a rough definition of what it is, but it's 150 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: when UM, when a landlord offers a certain amount of 151 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: money in order for you to give up your apartment UM. 152 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: And this could be a couple of thousand UM, ten thousand, 153 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: twenty thousand, sometimes way less than that UM. So that 154 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: was a tactic that he was trying to use to 155 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: evict people from our apartment so that he could remodel 156 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: and then UM move it up to like market rate 157 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: and get pretty much all of our community out of 158 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: this apartment, which was an affordable apartment. UM. It worked 159 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: for a lot of some tenants did end up doing that. 160 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: A lot of people didn't want to fight back UM, 161 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: but the ones that did UM started the association UM. 162 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: And there's also a lot of like language barriers with 163 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: the tenants UM, some that only spoke Spanish and didn't 164 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: understand what was happening. They were trying to get people 165 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 1: to sign contracts UM for for the increase of the 166 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: rent UM. Yeah. So that was my experience here to 167 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: begin with UM and and why we decided to fight 168 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: back and not allow this to to happen to our family, 169 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,719 Speaker 1: but also like our community here who were also experiencing 170 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: the same thing. You know, it wasn't just an ice. 171 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: I say this all the time. It felt like an 172 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: isolated situation at the time, but it on the broader perspective, 173 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: it was not an isolated thing, and that's what brought 174 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: our community together. That's a really powerful, be incredibly enraging, 175 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: And yeah, there's a lot of really interesting things they're like, 176 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: I mean, one, obviously, the cops doing like the sheriff's 177 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: like helping them do the illegal eviction is just incredibly 178 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: on the nose and the wather thing I think is 179 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: really interesting about the way that like I mean, okay, 180 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: the way the law only exists for rich people if 181 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: you can like throw it into their faces and make 182 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 1: it embarrassing enough that like the state has to enforce it. 183 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: So I read a lot of media coverage of this, 184 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: and not a single person who who covered the story 185 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: that that that I saw from these articles mentioned that 186 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: the that cash per keys is illegal a lot because 187 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: a lot of the articles mentioned it, but they don't 188 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: they don't they don't mention that, like you legally can't 189 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: do this, And so yeah, I think that's a that 190 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: that that's I don't know, I guess it goes to 191 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: show that like even among the press, like whose job 192 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,200 Speaker 1: it is to do this, there's there's such like little 193 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: there's such a little knowledge of what what what practices 194 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: aren't and are and aren't allowed and that. Yeah, I mean, 195 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:43,959 Speaker 1: I think as you're talking about like that, that that that's 196 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,719 Speaker 1: one of the they're they're relying like in order to 197 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: do this with landlords are like, yeah, that they're they're 198 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: relying on people not knowing their rights to relying on 199 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: being able to trick people. They're relying on just straight 200 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 1: up handing people stuff they can't read and forcing them 201 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 1: to sign it, which, m I don't know that my 202 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: brain is weird, but like the thing that reminds me 203 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: of is like that the Spanish conquistadors showing up and 204 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: then really like ask asking people to convert to Christianity 205 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: in Spanish language they didn't speak, and then shooting them 206 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: when they didn't do it. It's like, yeah, that's a 207 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: fitting analogy, honestly. Yeah, it's a new form of colonization yea, 208 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: and one that we're you know, resisting, Yeah, yea. That that 209 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: that was one of the other things I wanted to 210 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 1: talk about in terms of resisting this kind of stuff 211 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: is Yeah, what what was it like dealing with the 212 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: kind of language barriers that you get here when you 213 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,319 Speaker 1: have I don't know, Like I mean, you've mentioned like 214 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: at least three languages that people are speaking. There's probably 215 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: more because that's just that's how working class communities work. 216 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,080 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. Yeah. I feel like that's been such a 217 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,959 Speaker 1: central part of our fight, is language justice and the 218 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: tenant meetings that we've had every single week for the 219 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: past three years. Um, so that's like about a hundred 220 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: and fifteen meetings. Every single one of them has included 221 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: some form of translation. Um. So yeah, we've had a 222 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: lot of support from folks from Union davcos organizers there 223 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: have gear where we can do like simultaneous translation. Yeah. 224 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: So if you go to one of our meetings, it's 225 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: folks who, um, if they're monolingual Spanish or English speakers, 226 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: they're having a headset on where we then have someone 227 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: who's offering simultaneous translation um. And then since we have 228 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: fewer Cantonese or Mandarin speakers, will also have organizers on 229 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: the side doing um, consecutive translation for them. So our 230 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: meetings are run and like usually three if not more 231 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: languages M and I guess, I guess it leads into 232 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: you another question that I had, which was, so, how 233 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: how did I think from unders staying this One of 234 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: the parts of the story is like, is people who 235 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: people who have been doing established tenant organizing like getting 236 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: getting involved with the struggle, and I wanted to, I guess, 237 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: talk about how that happens and yeah, yeah, yeah, So 238 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: I think because that original tenant, Louisa like really blew 239 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: this story up, UM, different orgs heard about it, and 240 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: eventually UM a lot too, So the l A Tenants 241 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: Union and then c c D UM, the organ that 242 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: I'm in, we heard about it and got involved long term. 243 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: And even with that, like I'm a relatively new organizer, 244 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: I only started volunteering with c c D a couple 245 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: of years ago, so it's really been like one of 246 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: my first UM site fights we like to call them. 247 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: But there are other folks who have had more a 248 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: bit more experience with different buildings in l A as well. 249 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: But I think what's important to emphasize is that this 250 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: fight has really been tenant lead UM, and even though 251 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: we have like these kind of yeah, outside organizers, it's 252 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: always been the tenants demands and the tenants interests first. Yeah, 253 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: it seems I mean, you know, from from your descriptions, 254 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: like people showing up a translation equipment. Yeah, it seems 255 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: like a really good way to do this kind of stuff, 256 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: which is you show up and you give help to people, 257 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: but it's it's you know, it's it's them doing the organizing, 258 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: which I don't know. It reminds me a lot of 259 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: like my experiences between union organizing stuff, which is like, yeah, 260 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: I know, it's it's some Yeah, like you have people 261 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: who have experience with stuff and they come in and 262 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: their job is to help the people who are actually 263 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: trying to organize the place. Mm hmm, yeah, exactly exactly, 264 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: the people who are like actually directly impacted. UM. Yeah. 265 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: I feel like our role has really just been facilitating, 266 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: offering like the technical support UM more of that stuff. 267 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: But I think you can really talk about how so 268 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: much of this fight has really been building the tenant's 269 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: power and becoming more and more like militant UM and 270 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: radical and just the tenants like yeah, just definitely feeling 271 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: their own fire. Yeah. So we are like super duper 272 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: grateful for the UM organizers that have come out for 273 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: the last three years or however long UM they've decided 274 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: to or have joined the association to help. UM and 275 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: a lot of the tenants always always like gives things 276 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: and they're super appreciative or the organizers, but sometimes they 277 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: don't give themselves the credit either. They think it's only 278 00:17:55,840 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: like they think the organizers, which is like super important 279 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: and we're super grateful, but they don't realize that they're 280 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: a huge part of of the fight. UM. For example, UM, 281 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: actually my mom UH has been a part of the 282 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: association for longer than I have. UM. I've only been 283 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: organizing for about UM well not only UM a year 284 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: and a half, but she's actually been in the organization 285 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: for three years. UM because not only because she needed 286 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: the support and the organizers really helped to UM to 287 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: guide her to like learn to use her voice for 288 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: UM for the outcome that we all want to see. UM. 289 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: And a lot of the tenants are UM are women, 290 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 1: their elders, you know, their generation elders, so UM, they're 291 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:10,640 Speaker 1: very strong people. They UM a lot of like the 292 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: elder like UM. Like I guess Latina, I don't know 293 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: how I feel about that term, but UM. You know, 294 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: women UM are our natural leaders and with the help 295 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 1: of the organizers. Um, they really just helped to to 296 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: help them too, you know, use their voice and to 297 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: empower them to to do what they can naturally do, 298 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 1: which is speak up and ask for what they want. So, yeah, 299 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: my mom is you know, learned over the last three 300 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,919 Speaker 1: years how to talk in front of politicians, how to 301 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: um communicate the process and the struggle that we've all 302 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: been enduring, but to also demand what we rightfully deserve, 303 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: which is housing, safe housing, and for politicians to do 304 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 1: their job, which is to represent as they should be 305 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: the community that they are working for and not and 306 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: you know, not to beg them to do things, but 307 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,480 Speaker 1: to demand that um, they take action in the way 308 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: that we have taken action. Um, much more then than 309 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 1: any politician has in the last three years. Um, it 310 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: was up to the tenants and it still is and 311 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: thanks to them we have gotten as far as we have. 312 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: That That was those Yeah, really well said. I want 313 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: to I guess shift a little bit into talking about 314 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: like what specifically y'all were doing, because I guess I 315 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: guess both that is like what how how how how 316 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,479 Speaker 1: did you actually do this? And then how can other 317 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: people sort like how can other people replicate it. Mm hmm, yeah, 318 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: I don't know that we necessarily have like a model 319 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,160 Speaker 1: UM that other people can apply, because I think reflecting 320 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,239 Speaker 1: about this whole fight, it was such a like just 321 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: dynamic campaign where at first when it started, UM folks 322 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: war kind of using more you know, like legal tactics, 323 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: just like looking for errors in UM the rent increases 324 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 1: that bots would hand out and this would you know, 325 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: lead to UM being able to stall the rent hikes 326 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: for months at a time. UM. But then that obviously 327 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: wasn't enough, so then people started escalating and UM eventually 328 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: like putting pressure to get this on the radar of 329 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: our districts, like city council person guil cdeo, And eventually, 330 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: through that, UM they were able to get CDEO to 331 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 1: make a deal with the landlord to extend the covenant 332 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: UM and have his loaned speed his debtbat forgiven. UM. 333 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: But the landlord just like reneged on that deal, right 334 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: So yeah yeah, So then UM, I think it's through 335 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 1: those experiences that the tenants really learned like Okay, it's 336 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: like the this politician is not going to save us. UM. 337 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: So then I think our fight became like more and 338 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: more militant, so just directly going to the landlords Malibu 339 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: Villa and shouting like fuck you, and you know, just 340 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: like yeah, just like those direct confrontations. And then even 341 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: Sidio himself, U has not been you know, this friendly 342 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: relationship where we're thanking him for putting our putting our 343 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: story into city council. It's been extremely confrontational and oppositional 344 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 1: the entire time. And I think thinking about what got 345 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,479 Speaker 1: us this recent when it was um as it has 346 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: been this whole fight direct action, because we ended up 347 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: the first day that city Council opened up to the 348 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: public again, a group of us went in kind of 349 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: like slid our way through security and went to his 350 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: office and surprisingly he opened the door, um, and it 351 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: was him and not a staffer, and of course he 352 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 1: saw it was us. He us. He immediately tried to 353 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: close the door, and one of our amazing tenant leaders, Rosario, 354 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: who's yeah, this elder Latino woman, she stuck her foot 355 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: in the door and refused to let him close it. Yeah, 356 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:40,679 Speaker 1: And because of that we were able to just like 357 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: directly confront him like, where the funk have you been. 358 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: It's been three years, um and you haven't seen this 359 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: through like you said you were going to, and we 360 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: got all that you know, recorded video evidence of him 361 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: UM just yeah, fumbling around, and he sent the cops 362 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: on us, of course. UM. And yeah, I think that 363 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: was such a great action because all of the we 364 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: call them, like the Mohas, so the Latino women who 365 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 1: have been leading the fight, they were just so defiant 366 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: towards the cops. UM, not scared at all, and just 367 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, standing their gown and that they're just defending 368 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: you know, they're human right to housing. UM. And a 369 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: week after that confrontational action, we got this UM this 370 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 1: city council motion passed. So you know, I think it 371 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: from our experience trying to go through the nice way 372 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: and like you know, doing traditional lobbying, trying to schedule 373 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: meetings and like texting, calling all of that, things didn't 374 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: happen for years, and then once we did more and 375 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: more militant actions, things happened really quickly. Yeah. Another thing 376 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: I'd like to add on to that, UM that I 377 00:24:55,119 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: actually heard was something that not a lot of UM, 378 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: other associations UM that are fighting for their housing UM 379 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: do often was UM to bring the community together. UM. 380 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: And like I mean, really coming together. I mean, we're 381 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: meeting every week for the last three years, and even 382 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: during the pandemic, UM we weren't in person. We actually 383 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: were on zoom for a really long time. UM. And 384 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: that's one of the biggest things was UM the consistency 385 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 1: that we all pushed through even during the pandemic. UM 386 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: from the beginning was meeting every single week, and some 387 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: other UM organizers also meet more than once a week. 388 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: You know, we're meeting multiple times a week too, kind 389 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: of talk over like the fine detail of of you know, 390 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: the next steps UM. But definitely consistency has been one 391 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: of the biggest things in the last three years that 392 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: has gotten us where we are today. Yeah, that that 393 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: makes a lot of sense. It's I know, I keep 394 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,159 Speaker 1: going back to this because this is the sort of 395 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess I did some tendant organizing, but UM, 396 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: this is the thing that I know now. Was like, Yeah, 397 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: it reminds me a lot of just like the way 398 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 1: the way that Union get pagins that like work run 399 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: of just you have to keep you have you have 400 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 1: to keep getting people together to do the thing. Yeah, 401 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: most definitely. Yeah, I don't know have you all seen 402 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: like like how how did that change, like your relationship 403 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: with just like the other people in the building. I'll 404 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: give you an example from like my mom. I think 405 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: for her it's been changed a little more drastically than 406 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: it has for me because a lot of the tenants 407 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: here a little older. UM. So before the association was started, 408 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: she she's kind of like a person that keeps to 409 00:26:55,040 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: herself a lot, you know. UM. But since that, UM, 410 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: since the association, she's actually made like so many friends 411 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: here now, like and she's actually made like a best 412 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: friend here, um, one of our neighbors. And they like, yes, 413 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,199 Speaker 1: and they've become like really good friends. UM. They even go, 414 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: you know, have breakfast together, um like almost multiple times 415 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: a week. UM. The other day I saw them, Like 416 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:31,440 Speaker 1: I saw my mom's best friend Adelita or Adela, um 417 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: giving her some sugar, and I was like, I should 418 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: have gotten a picture of that, Like that's you know, 419 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: that's so cute, like posted it on like Instagram so 420 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: that you know, like everyone knows like what it looks 421 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: like when community comes together. It's it's the small things 422 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: like that. UM. But I think it has um made 423 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:58,880 Speaker 1: some you know who made us gain like trust with 424 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: um the neighbors that have been consistent UM and see 425 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:09,479 Speaker 1: the same UM kind of vision that we have to 426 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:17,400 Speaker 1: keep this building affordable. UM. And yeah, not everyone, not 427 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: all the tenants here have been supportive of our fight. 428 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: Some you know, participated for a few months and then 429 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: immediately gave up. UM. But one of the things that 430 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: UM that my family has done is to keep fighting UM, 431 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: even for the ones that don't want to show up 432 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: or don't want to do the work, which is hard work. UM. 433 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: That we're not just doing it for ourselves, but we're 434 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: doing it for for everyone, whether they're supportive or not. 435 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: You know, this is going to benefit them, and it's 436 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 1: going to benefit the whole community and hopefully the city, 437 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: the whole city in the future. I don't know, It's 438 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: something I've definitely seen with organizing, is that like, yeah, 439 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: just living in this world can be really isolating and 440 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, like I've lived in a lot of 441 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: places where it's just like, yeah, like I have no 442 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: idea who any like literally who anyone who lives around 443 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: me is like like there's still they'll they'll be like 444 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: the one person you see at three in the boarding 445 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: coming back to their apartment and it's like, oh, I 446 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: vaguely remember this person, but like, yeah, like I think, 447 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: I don't know, just this this being something that just 448 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: on a broad level, not just about like I mean, 449 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: you know, is it like this is something that's a 450 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: solution to both like an immediate fight and then also 451 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: is sort of like broader just I don't know, like 452 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: Nightmarror's isolation that everyone's not everyone is a huge part 453 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: of a lot of our lives. Now, I don't know. 454 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: That just struck me. I guess, yeah, yeah, I feel 455 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: like this just makes me think of UM. To celebrate 456 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: the recent win, we had this party at Hillside UM 457 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: just last week, and you know, it was like Pollock style. 458 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: Everyone brought their own food. UM. Someone had a connection 459 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: with like a mariachi van, so we bind mariachi playing. UM. 460 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: One of the tenants owns a food truck and just 461 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: wanted to cook for the community, so she was whipping 462 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: up these like amazing tacos and bacon up hot dogs. 463 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: And then someone had brought this piniata of the landlord 464 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: and people were just like talking destroying it. Like one 465 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: of the tennants was just like fistfighting it and having 466 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: it open. The kids were just like grabbing as much 467 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: candy as they could from this broken Tom Botts Panada, 468 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: and and like, I feel like that was just like 469 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: exemplifies the sense of community that there is now Hillside. 470 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: And I think, as Anna was talking about, those personal 471 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: connections have been so key to keeping this fight going 472 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: for three years because it's hard, it's so hard to 473 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: keep showing up, and it's those personal connections that keep 474 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: you coming. Yeah, most definitely, it's almost like a support 475 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: system that um, like my mom and like some of 476 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 1: the neighbors have created, like Adlita or one of our 477 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: second generation tenants, Leslie, you know, She's they can confide 478 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 1: with one another, they can vent with one another, and 479 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: um yeah yeah, Um, They've definitely like created strong bonds, 480 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: and I think that's one of the reasons why they 481 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: keep showing up. You know, it's it's women supporting women, 482 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: and um, you know, they're the protectors of the family, 483 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:20,479 Speaker 1: they're the nurturers. And that's what my mom taught me. 484 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: So that's why definitely one of the reasons why I 485 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: continue to fight, um for Hillside to keep the housing, 486 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: not only for my mom because I'm like her protector 487 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: and she's mine but we're also like here to protect 488 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: the community from from harassment or from literal bowling. Yeah. 489 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: So I guess looking forward, Um, I think at the 490 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: beginning interview you said, yeah, it looks like there's going 491 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: to be another fight over sort of forcing the forcing 492 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: the city to actually use eminent domain. Um yeah, do 493 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: you have well okay, I don't know if you can 494 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: talk about your plants for that. Yeah. I guess two things. 495 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: One if if if people want to support what y'all 496 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: are doing and you know, put pressure on the city, 497 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:22,719 Speaker 1: what are the best ways for them to do that? 498 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:28,160 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm, Um, yeah, I think just following our our 499 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 1: socials and staying updated about the fight and any like 500 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: action items that we put out is a great way 501 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: to support and just amplifying the struggle. Um yeah. In 502 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: terms of our specific strategy for holding the city accountable, Um, 503 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: we actually haven't haven't gotten super into the weeds of 504 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: it yet because we are just taking a break for 505 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: a while to you know, to celebrate sounding this win 506 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: and yeah kind of have folks get perspective. I think 507 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 1: are our view is that because the city has now 508 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 1: approved the funds to make this happen, that um yeah, 509 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,879 Speaker 1: that there shouldn't be any barriers to them seeing it 510 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 1: completely through. UM. Yeah, I think we can. We can 511 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: maybe UM apprehends some like ideological barriers because actually using 512 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:32,320 Speaker 1: eminent domain to expropriate a landlord is not something that's 513 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:37,239 Speaker 1: been done before. UM. But yeah, we'll see what happens. Yeah, 514 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:40,240 Speaker 1: I mean, look, if if if they can displace tennants 515 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: with eminent domain, they can, they can they can use 516 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 1: it to keep tenants in their homes, like exactly. I 517 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 1: guess the other question I have with that is what 518 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: is okay? So like, say, like I don't know, a 519 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 1: miracle occurs and like your landlord is visited by like 520 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: three ghosts at night who like show him increasingly horrible features, 521 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 1: and he decides to sell it to the city. What 522 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: is that? Like? What is the city owning the building 523 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: look like? Mm hmmm. Yeah. I can start with that, 524 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 1: and then and I can chime in. But I think 525 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 1: the vision of the tenants has always been collective stewardship 526 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,879 Speaker 1: and tenant ownership of the building. UM. So the fight 527 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:28,280 Speaker 1: definitely does not stop at the city UM taking the building, 528 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: but there will also be a push for actual tenant 529 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: stewardship of the building too. Yeah, and I think the 530 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 1: exact structures of that um aren't aren't so clear yet. 531 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 1: There's still a lot of like discussions and work to 532 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: be done around that. UM. But yeah, and the conversations 533 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 1: that we've had with folks from the Housing Authority, which 534 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: is going to be the agency that's actually purchasing the building. UM, 535 00:35:53,960 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 1: they have expressed openness too to us actually um. Yeah, 536 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: having another nonprofit takeover and eventually building towards like a 537 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: co op kind of structure, that would be really cool. Yeah. 538 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: I know, I know, I've heard a lot of talk 539 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 1: among well I know that I think some people have 540 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,320 Speaker 1: done it in Detroit about things the community land trusts 541 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: as a UM. Yeah, I have tenants actually like control 542 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 1: their buildings. Yeah. Yeah, that's definitely been part of the discussion. Yeah, 543 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: that's that's awesome because yeah, this is a much better 544 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:34,279 Speaker 1: solution than the state is now your landlord exactly. Yeah. Yeah, 545 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,919 Speaker 1: so that's yeah, that's that's the what we hope for 546 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,120 Speaker 1: in the future. UM. Like Jannas said, we still have 547 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: a lot to work through, and this isn't um done obviously. 548 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: We wouldn't, like you said, want the state to be 549 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:55,839 Speaker 1: landlords here they wouldn't be the best landlord. But yeah, 550 00:36:56,200 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: um yeah, we we are, like Janna said, taking a 551 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: pause and we will reconvene UM two plan out feature 552 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: steps to take. But this was a really really great win. Um. 553 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,960 Speaker 1: It was such a relief off of so many people. 554 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 1: Um back and something we've been fighting for over three 555 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: three and a half years now, UM, so it's good 556 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 1: to finally get somewhat of positive news. And it's been 557 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: such an emotional journey for the last three years. Um. 558 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,360 Speaker 1: I mean that doesn't even justify how how much of 559 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 1: an emotional roller coaster it has been for a lot 560 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:53,919 Speaker 1: of these tenants or for a lot of our families here. Um, 561 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: when we got the news, um, everyone broke out in 562 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: tears and joy and and and everyone was so surprised. 563 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:09,960 Speaker 1: I mean I couldn't help myself but to like cry 564 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: and smile and ugly cry some more for like the 565 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:22,399 Speaker 1: whole day. Just yeah. Um yeah, we're hoping for um, 566 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:28,439 Speaker 1: for the process to be um somewhat smoother, um now 567 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: that that we've done a a large portion of the fight. UM. 568 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 1: But yeah, we st we're still at the tail end things. Yeah. 569 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 1: So where where where can people find find deals? Organizations 570 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: and groups and stuff to go follow them or help 571 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:51,440 Speaker 1: them in places. Um. For CCD, which does post a 572 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: lot of Hillside UM content, I think all of our 573 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:57,520 Speaker 1: socials are just at c C D, l A. And 574 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:04,240 Speaker 1: then for Hillside I think, um there's different handles for 575 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 1: all the different different platforms unfortunately, but if folks just 576 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: look up hill SIDEVA or Hillside Tenants, they should be 577 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,839 Speaker 1: able to find it. And if you just send me 578 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,600 Speaker 1: the social media handles, you can put them in the description. Yeah, yeah, 579 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:23,399 Speaker 1: for sure. Yeah. Well, thank thank you both so much 580 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,040 Speaker 1: for so much for talking to us. This was this 581 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: was awesome. I'm so happy for great Thank you. Yeah, 582 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:35,359 Speaker 1: thanks for thanks for listening. Yeah, this has been huge. Yeah, 583 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 1: and I guess for everyone out there, you too can 584 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:41,240 Speaker 1: take can start taking back your cities. And yeah, with 585 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: with with with with any luck and with a lot 586 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: of struggle. This is this is gonna this is gonna 587 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:49,840 Speaker 1: be the first of Betty and Yeah, fuck landlords, we 588 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:56,040 Speaker 1: can beat them. Hell yeah fo yeah we got this 589 00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:03,319 Speaker 1: communities first. Landlord Ing is not a job. We're here 590 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: to take it back. Oh yeah, it could happen here 591 00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: as a production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts 592 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 1: from cool Zone Media. Visit our website cool zone media 593 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:18,359 Speaker 1: dot com, or check us out on the I Heart 594 00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:21,480 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts, 595 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: you can find sources for It could happen here, Updated 596 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:27,720 Speaker 1: monthly at cool zone media dot com slash sources. Thanks 597 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:28,280 Speaker 1: for listening.