Hello, in the short time since we sent the last newsletter update, a lot has already transpired for the Justice For Wesley campaign. Please read on!
Thursday Night Lockout
On Thursday evening May 9 the police pulled up to the 2018 Wesley building and demanded tenants clear out. Although the city indicated that they had notified residents, many were not aware. The residents were told that they need to pack clothes for 5 to 7 days to go to the extended stay hotel in Skokie off of Old Orchard Road.
Clearly the buildings are in need of repair and they have been neglected. Andrew San Roman, the city’s “building official” deemed the building uninhabitable. The city manager Luke Stowe then had a letter posted on the walls of the property on the same day. What is very concerning is that the city inspector who deemed the building uninhabitable is an electrician. This should be inspected by structural engineers. In the past, for structural inspections the city has used Moshe Calamaro, a very reputable Evanston business. The owner of the 2014, 2018, and 2024 Wesley buildings, Evanston Housing Coalition, paid for a physical needs assessment known as a PNA of the buildings last week with Moshe Calamaro. The city of Evanston attempted to secure the same firm for their own inspection, however, the owner of the building beat them to it.
When police showed up to help board up the buildings, tenants put out a call for help and several community members showed up to protest. People in the neighborhood came out and joined. Folks chanted and linked arms to blockade the board up as long as we could. In the end the city got what they wanted and boarded up one of the three targeted buildings. Two remain.
Letter-writing Action
Our letter-writing action Protect our neighbors’ right to live in the community has already seen a lot of traction. To date, 936 letters have been sent and here is what changed during that time:
The deadline the city issued tenants to leave their homes was moved back 1 week.
The city posted a response with some answers we have been looking for for months.
Monday’s city council meeting was swarmed by comments from community members chastising them for the abhorrent treatment of Wesley tenants.
Allies across the Chicagoland area are rising up and our network of support is rapidly growing. We still need people to write letters so we updated the action with recent information. Please continue to share and THANK YOU for signing!
City Council Meeting Flooded with Public Comments
The attack on Thursday night made a big impact on the tenants and the neighbors who came out to bear witness to that atrocity. Many of us showed up to make public comments at the following May 13th city council meeting. You can read more in this Chicago Tribune article: “Evanston city staff scrutinized for emergency removal of 2018 Wesley residents”. We also have links to that and more in our news section on our website.
Council Member Bobby Burns Keeps Lashing Out
The Wesley buildings are in the 5th ward which is Alderperson Bobby Burns’ ward. He has been antagonistic throughout this whole struggle to say the least.
For every letter that is sent through our letter-writing campaign, Burns has been replying with a form letter actually accusing community members of harm. He does so at 2 and 3am and he even did so during a city council meeting where he was absent.
The city tried to get ahead of this issue by posting talking points that danced around the actual issue of the continuation of racist gentrification in Evanston.
All the information we’ve been sharing either comes directly from residents and former residents of the Wesley buildings, or from research by supporters.
Silenced by Design
It’s been questioned why don’t the residents speak out more? Most of the residents are elderly, Black, and on fixed income. They are being relocated from their homes and they cannot afford the rent of the new apartments that they’ll be moving into. They need the assistance that the city is offering them, so unfortunately they are in a position where for their own well-being they are quiet. When asked this question recently, a resident’s response was:
“Our silence doesn’t mean satisfaction, it means we’re overwhelmed with the trauma of events that have occurred over the past few months and are afraid that our funding could be withdrawn if we voice our true feelings.”
Systemic Housing Racism Continues
This is not the first time the city has come for these buildings. They did in 2005 and then 2010.
We know that in 2022 a developer had his eyes on these properties and that these buildings are in the new Five Fifths TIF district. We’ve seen how our community has changed dramatically from a predominantly Black and brown community to maybe four Black families in between Wesley and Jackson now.
That is why we’re asking for your help. There is proof that these buildings can be saved and that the city can afford to repair them. Our city can find the political will and creative solutions to fund all sorts of projects for the benefit of the wealthy white folks. When it comes to folks in marginalized classes suddenly their hands are tied.
In their first meeting after finding out the city was insisting tenants move out, “We were told by mayor Biss that they couldn’t repair the building because it was going to create a burden for future councils.” Councilmember Bobby Burns even said that helping these people would set a precedent. The point of systemic racism is that it’s part of the existing system. It will take efforts outside the system to intervene and mitigate harm upon our community. Inaction by the city council reveals their priorities.
We have pleaded with city officials so many times in an attempt to appeal to their humanity and for them to do the right thing for this community. However, we need your help. We can’t let this be the end of the story. Please help us bring the Justice for Welsey campaign home and keep sharing the letter-writing action with your friends and neighbors. Stay tuned for more ways to help, we’re just getting warmed up!