Energy was high despite the brisk cold as activists fought for tenant’s rights in Buffalo on Monday.

GENTRIFICATION IS MURDER is seen painted on a banner held by some of the activists, calling attention to the indecent practices committed by Belmont Housing at Elmwood Square Apartments.

Queen City Worker’s Center (QCWC) put on the protest. Karo Capra, co-chair of the QCWC, began the demonstration by calling out the flippant behavior perpetrated by Belmont. Capra says that during a meeting between tenants, allies and management Belmont admitted to taking no action in regard to rent increases.

“If they were to check if every rent increases were above board, they’d be on the phone all day,” Capra said.

Capra also highlighted the impossible decisions that tenants in crisis must face in dire situations.

“No one should have to choose between eating and having a roof over their head,” said Capra.

Tracey Stroud, president of the tenant council at Elmwood Square Apartments, says that a recent rent increase of nearly $200 hit seemingly overnight.

“Some will end up on the street if nothing changes,” she said.

Stroud also says there is inequity in rent between tenants. Out of 138 apartments only 30 people got a rent increase.

Stroud was then asked by one of the reporters what the conditions were like in the building, to which she listed many short falls.

“We have mice, no security, vagrants sleeping all in the hallway – and what do you want $1,044 dollars for?”

Stroud also says that she is a wheelchair user, and the accessibility button for the door is broken. She says that tenants have reached out to the Attorney General, as well as a lawyer, which yielded little response. However, the tenants will continue to fight.

Sandra Harper Arida, co-chair of the Housing Committee at QCWC, gestures to the banner, saying that it isn’t a metaphor, but a reality for tenants being pushed out by increasingly steep parameters. She says the struggle between tenants and management isn’t new, but this is the last straw.

“Mice, bedbugs, roaches, warped floors, garbage piling up, amenities have been taken away; the community room and the bathrooms are frequently locked,” she said. “Every week, I meet another tenant being pushed out of their home to make room for someone more respectable, more profitable, more white. Over 100 people live here. This is their home, and it will be defended.”

Among the chants heard at the protest included “Hey Mike Riegel, pay your portion; jacking ours is just extortion”. Riegel is the President of Belmont and was a major target for this demonstration. Another chant repeated throughout the day was “All deserve a bed at night, housing is a human right”, highlighting the call for protections for housing being fought for by tenant’s unions worldwide.

Jacqueline McCray, another resident at Elmwood Square, says she is living on a fixed income and has nowhere else to go. She says that Nick Corcoran, the Regional Vice President of Belmont, was dishonest about preventing rent hikes.

“You told us the rent wasn’t going to go up, and then the building got renovated, and then it did. You lied,” she said.

Arida says there are several legalities for rent increases for Section 8 tenants, including the general rule of thumb of a 10% limit per increase, and a regularity to these increases. In the past, rent has increased 10% year-to-year for the tenants at Elmwood Square, but after not experiencing a rent increase last year, the price jumped up 30%.

“The biggest problem is that Belmont is not picking up the slack,” said Arida.

Arida says that when a tenant’s rent is expected to go up, they are supposed to receive a notice from both Belmont and the landlord, but tenants only received a notice – practically last minute – from Belmont. When Belmont was approached regarding this legality, tenants were dismissed.

Arida concluded that while rent is increasing in the area, the rent increase at Elmwood Square is not comparable.

The protest moved inside after about half an hour of demonstrating on the sidewalk. There were talks of approaching Belmont management directly, but this quickly died down as it was revealed that they were off in a back office with the door closed. Shortly thereafter, the demonstration was finished, and the crowd dispersed.

It is unclear what the next steps will be for the QCWC and Elmwood Square, but if you are interested in getting involved with this or other human rights initiatives in Buffalo, you are encouraged to follow them on Facebook or Instagram.