It's True; Wall Street Makes for Terrible Landlords

On Wednesday October 15th at Noon, members Occupy Our Homes Atlanta will gathered to deliver a petition and a giant check to Invitation Homes to demand that the company employ fair rental practices in the management of their large number of Atlanta single-family homes.

For the last two years, private equity firms have been buying up foreclosed homes in various cities across the country and converting them to single family home rental properties with an eye towards securitizing the rent their tenants pay. In Atlanta, the largest investor of this kind has been The Blackstone Group, the world’s largest alternative asset private equity firm. The Blackstone Group owns companies like Sea World, The Weather Channel, and Hilton Group. Now they own thousands of houses in Metro Atlanta, and tens of thousands across the United States, through their subsidiary Invitation Homes.

Nefesh Chaya signed a two-year lease with Invitation Homes so that she and her service dogs could settle into the neighborhood. She is facing eviction today because she requested reasonable repairs to a home that had been vacant for a while. Invitation Homes promised that mold removal and repairs would be complete before move in day, but they weren't, and Nefesh had to push the company to follow though. In September, Invitation Homes decided they weren’t going to spend any more money on repairs. They added the cost of a kitchen plumbing fix to Nefesh’s online bill. Invitation Homes refused to accept her rent without the disputed repair cost when she traveled to their office and then they filed an eviction.

Invitation Homes acquired their Atlanta homes for pennies at foreclosure auctions, has driven up rent in the city, and are willing to threaten eviction to get more money out of Atlanta residents. Neighbors tell us that the last tenant in Nefesh’s home was pushed out this way too. Occupy Our Homes Atlanta is concerned that Invitation Homes’ predatory rental practices undermine stability in our neighborhoods and promise to transform a large number of Atlanta single-family homes into revolving doors.

As we gathered outside the building that Invitation Homes leases it was clear that the word was out on our visit as security had a rather large perimeter around the building and were actively looking for our group. When we were spotted we made it clear that our purpose was to deliver a ceremonial check, along with real cash, and a set of festive balloons to Invitation Homes on behalf of Nefesh. The check represented the amount owed minus disputed repair fees(in Georgia repair fees are legally allowed to be disputed and are seen as a separate matter not connected to lease/rent fee).

At first we were refused entry into the building and Invitation Homes refused to come down. Eventually Invitation Homes Allowed two people to come up to their office where they refused to accept Nefesh’ rent money, claiming that unless she paid for the repair and added legal fees, they would proceed with a forced eviction.

Nefesh has launched an online petition that we strongly encourage folks to sign and share now as she could face eviction any day now.

 

 

Here is a link to video shot after the attempt to deliver the rent check was refused.

 

Taking on Slum Lords in the Bluff

Marshall Rancifer is a passionate advocate and service worker who dedicates most of his time -- weekdays, weekends, and evenings -- to the needs of residents of the Bluff. While the city of Atlanta has long neglected this English Avenue neighborhood, denying its residents access to basic needs and services, Marshall tirelessly offers direct service to those seeking drug treatment, employment, HIV testing, or shelter. As a recovered drug addict who once lived on Atlanta's streets, Marshall is all too familiar with the unjustifiable abuse the city inflicts on the homeless, even in a neighborhood filled with empty houses. Now, Marshall's own right to housing is again under attack.

In order to live close to the Atlanta Harm Reduction Center Marshall decided to rent a small room across the street from the center.

The living situation has ended up being pretty terrible. Not only is it an unsanctioned boarding house but there’s no heat or AC, there’s unfinished walls, and bathroom piping that doesn’t work.

Last night Marshall had a dispute with his landlord over his balance and instead of working out an agreement, or following the proper eviction channels, Marshall’s landlord simple attempted to pull a “self help” eviction.  A “Self Help” eviction is basically where a landlord tries to strong arm a tenant out of their home using intimidation, In Georgia “Self Help” evictions are unlawful.

Marshall’s landlord removed his door and cut the power off to his room, both actions are considered unlawful. Today we responded by giving the landlord till the end of the day to restore power and replace Marshall’s door. We also told him that we needed Marshall to be able to stay in his room for the next two weeks while he finds a new place, as Marshall doesn’t want to stay there.

Marshall’s landlord agreed to our terms so we expect that the power will be back on and Marshall’s belongings will be safe by the days end.

It’s sad to say by communities like English Avenue are crawling with slum lords who often assume that human and civil rights don’t apply to the people they are building their wealth off of; their tenants.

It’s time we start making it clear that slum lording will not be tolerated in our city anymore. Every time we fight and we win, it makes more space for others to fight and wins, it creates less space for slum lords to exist.

Evicted Dekalb Teacher Reclaims Her Home Today!

On May 7^th of this year, Toni Furman was in her Lithonia home when she heard someone breaking down her door.

“They kicked the back door in,” she said in an interview with Crossroads News. “I was in an upstairs bedroom trying to call for help and they told me to drop everything and show my hands.”

“They” were the six DeKalb Sheriff’s deputies who evicted her from the home on Stoneleigh Hill Road where she had lived for more than 20 years.

“They ordered me to get my clothes on and to leave,” said the substitute high school science teacher. “And they started to take my things out into the street.”

Toni hit hard times five years ago when she experienced a difficult divorce. She and her husband had lived in the home for 18 years. The divorce left Toni with the house, nothing more.

Toni immediately started to contact Cenlar, a loan servicing company, to see about getting a loan modification with no results. Eventually Toni got an extra job so that she could get closer to affording the mortgage payment.

Cenlar continued to refuse to work with Toni. Toni’s home wasn’t any foreclosure , Toni had around 100k in equity, which made for a very attractive foreclosure for Cenlar. In the end Cenlar refused her modification because he ex husband refused to sign modification paperwork, despite the fact that Toni had won the home in a divorce settlement.

Because Cenlar refused to work with Toni she became homeless and was staying with a neighbor in her community. Toni is ready to take bold action to reclaim her home despite the consequence. Toni is ready to be a voice for others struggling to simply have a place to call home.

Today at around 6:30pm Toni marched to her home at 1420 Stoneliegh Hill Road, Lithonia, with the support of other Atlanta residents active in Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and reclaimed her home of over 20 years from Cenlar. This was a brave, bold, risky move for Toni, who had never been involved in any social justice movement prior to her crisis.

There's no telling how this story is going to end, but we know it's starking lots of conversations in her community and is being covered on several local news outlets. 

Please consider signing and sharing Toni's online petition click here

Great article by Crossroads News.