Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification

At the Trump Hotel

Demonstrations mark the opening of the new Donald Trump hotel in the historic Old Post Office Building in Washington DC. Trump security claims a section of Pennsylvania Avenue as Trump private property.

 

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Jews United for Justice holds rent control street theater demanding loopholes be closed

On the 20th of October, Jews United for Justice set up a "share the harvest" sukkot (booth) outside the Wilson Building, then staged a ceremony in which paper chains with six gaps were joined together to demand that six crucial loopholes that make DC's rent control law nearly useless be closed.

Video showing symbolic closure of all six loopholes

Closing loopholes in DC rent control-symbolically today, for real tomorrow!

Renters Day of Action rally demands rent freeze, eviction moratorium

The 22nd of September was the national Renter's Day of Action, with protests in over 50 cities. In DC, tenants from Congress Heights, Museum Square, and other threatened buildings gathered on Alabama Ave by 3200 13th st. Geoff Griffis of City Partners(investor) and Sanford Capitol(landlord) plan to demolish it and the adjacent occupied buildings anyway to build luxury apartments. They are stopped at the moment by Metro refusing to put a related land sale on the agenda. The banner at 3200 13th st read "liberated territory" and police acted like they expected OneDC and Justice First! to sieze the building like what happened at Parcel 42 back in 2010.

Video including Luci Murphy, the demands-and those security guards

Gathering at Congress Heights

Renters Day of Action in DC

Congress Heights redevelopment STOPPED after slumlord Geoff Griffis gets another home demo

Update July 28:WMATA tables proposed sale of Metro property required for Congress Heights redevelopment, blocking Geoff's proposed luxury apartment and office plans.

Geoffrey Griffis, managing member for CityPartners, LLC is up to his neck in the efforts to evict all residents of Congress Heights in Anacostia so a new "mixed use" development can take their place. On the 23rd of July under scorching heat, dozens of Congress Heights tenants backed up by residents of other properties facing deliberate slum conditions and other illegal eviction schemes showed up at Geoffrey's luxurious Cleveland Park home to warn that he can't try to put people out of their homes, then return to his home and not have problems. Protesters called out CityPartners LLC for a business model based on emptying out buildings so the condos can come.

Video including Geoff coming out in an attempt to buy off protesters with bottled water

The scene in front of Geoffry Griffis home, quite a contrast to what he has done to Congress Heights

Protesting an evicting slumlord at his Cleveland Park home

1320 Nicholson tenants rally, meet with city officials over unpaid refunds for illegal rent hike

The landlord at 1320 Nicholson St owes but has not been paying tenants refunds for an illegal rent hike invalidated by the DC courts.Since a new management company took over the building conditions have deteriorated and this illegal rent hike was attempted, possibly in an attempt to clear out the building. On the 22nd of June, tenants rallied outside and met with councilmember Anita Bonds and Councilmember-elect Robert White(GOP never wins in DC) demanding action to recover the money they are owed and fix the building.

Video from the rally at Nicholson St

Protesting a landlord's refusal to refund a rent hike ruled illegal

Developers' gentrifying, "space finding" bus tour blocked in Anacostia

On the 19th of April, some of DC's gentrifying developers held a "space finding" bus tour of Anacostia looking for convenient places to displace local people and build new settlements for the wealthy. Like the settlers who came before them, they found they were not welcomed by those they seek to evict from their homes. Protesters from Empower DC and Black Lives Matter blocked the streets and forced them to turn back. The Washington Business Journal. Cops ordered the bus driver to reverse out of the trap, then arrested one of the activists to retaliate for driving off the condo builders and their bus. This was the second time this same bus tour was attempted and blocked.

Very intense 3 min video cut from Empower DC's half hour video

Blockading developer bus tour in Anacostia

Bowser's regime raids another homeless camp

On the morning of March 10, Mayor Bowser's DC government declared the homeless people living in tents along the 1st st wall near Union Station to be garbage and sent the Department of Public Works to discard their belongings. Some but not all of the tent campers were offered housing, some have no place to sleep tonight. Once again those who don't make $100,000 a year can thank Mayor Bowser for her determination to prevent those who cannot afford rent from sleeping anywhere that offers overhead cover except for the very limited space in government-approved shelters.

Video from clips by Street Sense and Mike Brice Saddler

Photo by Street Sense

Anacostia residents protest Congress Heights mass eviction plans

On the 9th of March, Anacostia residents rallied at the Congress Heights Metro to protest continuing attempts to force out tenants at the Congress Heights apartments. The landlords there hope to illegally evict or drive away all tenants so the apartments can be razed and replaced with a larger complex of shops, offices, and luxury housing. Residents are standing their ground and refusing to leave in spite of a total maintenance cutoff and other harassment. They were supported in this protest by residents of Barry Farms, who are resisting similar displacement/gentrification plans.

Video from the Congress Heights Rally: "we ain't going anywhere!"

Photo by Justice First

Anacostia residents vow to defy mass evictions

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