Stand with Blackstone tenants around the world in demanding justice from CEO Schwarzman!

Our Homes Are Not a Commodity!  No Business As Usual Today -- Shut Em Down!

Today members of Occupy Our Homes Atlanta delivered a demand letter to Blackstone Groups Atlanta Head Quarters. We encourage you to take the time to make a call/email as people around the world take a stand against Blackstone's unfair, exploitative housing practices. Can we count on you to make the call?
Blackstone, one of the world's largest private equity firms, is buying up housing all over the world and quickly becoming one of the largest landlord's in our cities.  But at the expense of families and communities.  Blackstone buys up our foreclosed homes for cheap, kicks out the residents, charges exorbitant rents, fails to do proper maintenance and excludes people of color and immigrants!

Fore More background info on #StopBlackstone campaign see below

CALL CEO Stephen Schwarzman NOW at 212-583-5000

If number is busy, call 212 503 2100, 212 583 5799, see all Blackstone #'s globally below

Document # of calls made, city and country here:  http://bit.ly/1MqsQi9

EMAIL him at stephen.schwarzman@blackstone.com

SCRIPT -- Tell the Blackstone CEO:

"Mr. Schwarzman, I stand with Blackstone tenants and community organizations around the world.  Stop buying up our foreclosed homes and public housing, stop all your unjust evictions and make your rents affordable.  I support this important struggle and will not let up until you meet the tenants' demands.  Homes are NOT a commodity!"

TWEET -- #StopBlackstone

By calling in you are part of an international day of action spanning 4 countries and 3 continents!  TODAY, Right To The City and PAH in Spain are organizing protests at Blackstone offices in the US, Spain, Japan and England!  In the US we are doing actions and delivering demand letters in cities across the country including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Seattle. Our call in's will be happening in over 40 cities worldwide!!!!!!!!!!!

We are just getting started and in the future, we plan to expand our organizing and protests to everywhere Blackstone is,  including China, Australia, and India.  Our international demands are below and will be paired with local demands in each city.

For more background info on #StopBlackstone -- Our Homes Are Not a Commodity see bottom of this email

MORE PHONE NUMBERS:

Atlanta
The Blackstone Group
Phone: +1 404 460 2321
Fax: +1 404 460 2337

Boston
The Blackstone Group
Phone: +1 617 646 2900
Fax: +1 617 646 2905
Chicago
The Park Hill Group
Phone: +1 312 705 3070
Fax: +1 312 705 3079

Houston
GSO Capital Partners LP
Phone: +1 713 358 1400
Fax: +1 713 358 1401

Los Angeles
The Blackstone Group
Phone: +1 310 310 6949
Fax: +1 310 310 6998

Menlo Park
The Blackstone Group
Phone: +1 650 798 3800
Fax: +1 650 798 3801

San Francisco
The Park Hill Group
Phone: +1 415 276 5900
Fax: +1 415 276 5919

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Blackstone is one of the world's largest private equity firms.  Blackstone made big money in the last housing bubble and now is cashing in again to make lots more.  It is buying up housing and real estate all over the world and quickly becoming one of the largest landlord's in our cities.  They are raking in the profits.  But at the expense of our families and communities.  They buy up our foreclosed homes for cheap, kick out the residents, charge exorbitant rents, fail to do proper maintenance and exclude people of color and immigrants!

Our International Demands on Blackstone

        1. Stop Buying Our Occupied, Foreclosed and Subsidized Housing

• Do NOT destabilize our communities by buying homes that should be owned by individuals, the government or local entities.
• End the purchase of homes owned by banks rescued with public money or homes that were purchased with sub-prime loans.

          2.  No Unjust Evictions

• Stop unjust evictions of homeowners or tenants in purchased properties
• Stop forcing tenants out of homes due to harassment, your failure to make repairs and charging unjust fees.

3.  Affordable Rents

• Do not charge unfair rents
• Do not make people pay more than one third of their income to housing
• Ensure that at least 25% of all Blackstone housing in a city is affordable to poor people who make 0 to 30% neighborhood median income

       4.  Quality Conditions and Sustainability

• Renovate all purchased homes to a high quality
• Maintain all properties in good condition
• Make prompt and quality repairs
• Ensure all utility systems and materials used in building and repairs are sustainable

5. No discrimination

• Do not discriminate against people of color or immigrants including by using unfair prohibitions regarding former incarceration or arrests, and/or immigration status.
• Allow equal access to Blackstone homes for all people regardless of race, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family status, immigration status, former incarceration, eviction history or credit history.

6. Accountability

• Provide responsive and quality customer service
• Provide full name and contact information for one consistent person from Blackstone’s property management company who has full authority to address tenant’s issues promptly and effectively

7.  Transparency of information

• Provide to the public business and industry information including:

• Names of all the companies Blackstone has any ownership in/control over and what properties and real estate they relate to and how
• Terms of purchase of all housing/land/buildings purchased
• Regular updated list of which properties are securitized, and who are the investors including banks that put up any money
• Regular updated list of properties that are directly or indirectly managed by Blackstone worldwide
• Regular updated list of all those evicted from each property and why (names can be withheld if it is required by law)
• List of who's application was denied and why (names can be withheld if it is required by law)