Greetings Evanston community! This is an exciting time to be building toward a better society for everyone and we are energized to do that together! The Wesley Tenants and the message we’ve got from them is “we never want this to happen again, to anybody!” We pledge to make that a reality and that means being intentional and building something that lasts.
But you know what? We’re not alone, not by a long shot. One thing that gives us a lot of hope is the number of organizations out there across the world, the country, and right next door in Chicago. THIS IS A MOVEMENT!
Press Conference on June 3rd 2024
On June 3rd, displaced tenants of 2014, 2018, and 2024 Wesley traveled back to their homes for a press conference in front of the now-boarded-up buildings.
The tenants announced that they are pursuing a lawsuit to help reclaim their dignity and their community. They are not letting the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) and the Evanston Housing Coalition (EHC) get away with gross negligence and disregard for their low-income, elderly Black tenants!
Wesley tenants, family members, and local supporters spoke passionately about what has been going on and what needs to happen next. You can watch the press conference here:
Youtube: Justice for Wesley Press Conference June 3, 2024
FUNDRAISER: Fight for Wesley Tenants’ Future
In the last newsletter we put a call out for help in organizing mutual aid efforts for the Wesley tenants in their time of need. A big THANK YOU to those who reached out!
In our ongoing communications with the Wesley Tenants, we’re discovering that cash is actually the most urgent need right now. The legal fight needs to be funded and new miscellaneous expenses keep coming up as the tenants adjust to their displacement. As we solidify our network, more opportunities for direct mutual aid will become available but at this time funding is most important.
The Wesley tenants are asking for funds to support them in this period of displacement. You can do so at this GoFundMe: Fight for Wesley Tenants’ Future.
Please give what you can and help spread the word!
Hitting the Streets
Our organizers have been busy reaching out to the community attending many summer events in Evanston. We’re passing out leaflets and hearing stories of the struggles tenants across the city are experiencing.
It is surprising how many people have lived in the Wesley buildings or knew somebody who lived there. It was described as a “springboard” for Black folks in the Evanston community. These apartments were affordable at a time when many residents weren’t making much and their children were small and daycare costs were high. Once people started earning more and their children went into grade school, most moved into other apartments in the 2nd and 5th ward. Many of these former residents spoke of how they are now being targeted for displacement through gentrification.
This is why we created the Justice for Evanston Tenants organization around the Wesley tenants. We suspected this was a bigger issue and with every conversation we have we *know* it is absolutely true.
If you see one of our organizers at an event passing out leaflets or tabling, say hi and maybe even give a high five! Knowing you’re out there goes a long way.
A Landlord by Any Other Name
While Wesley Tenants battle their landlord, the city of Evanston is making it clear which side they’re on. In a draft of the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RTLO) update, they propose changing the term “landlord” to “housing provider”.
As Dr. Danielle Kerrigan writes in the paper “In defense of ‘Landlord’: Why the term ‘landlord’ continues to be essential to rental housing”:
“The movement to rebrand reflects broader trends of trying to move past ongoing injustices in the social relations of property by erasing evidence of their historical connections rather than the injustices themselves…”
and by the way,
“…it is in fact the tenant helping to provide housing for the landlord…”.
Perhaps we should instead change the word “tenant” to “mortgage provider”.
–Image courtesy of NSRA from issue 4 of Tenants Talk
Probably a Duck
In a May 13th interview with Where The People Meet TV after a city council meeting of impassioned public comments, Housing & Community Development Committee official Hugo Rodriguez responded to the question of gentrification as it relates to the Wesley Tenants:
“If it walks like a duck, flies like a duck, and quacks like a duck, probably it is a duck…”
In a following meeting of the Housing & Community Development Committee, he expressed his regret to a room full of Wesley tenants and advocates:
“…the stress it’s causing me… is immense, I’m telling you. I’m not eating, I have headaches all the time and that’s not normal in me. I can’t even begin to imagine what these folks are feeling today…”
The truth is undeniable.
Thank you,
Justice for Evanston Tenants