Our Work
Radical Organizing Model
In 1973, anti-war activists, feminists, and socialists combined to form City Life/Vida Urbana. They brought profound experience in fighting militarism, racism, male supremacy, and class oppression. They proposed to use this experience to address the practical, every day problems of the multi-racial working class of Jamaica Plain. They believed that understanding these larger social forces would help in local organizing; and they believed that this local organizing would help create the base for radical change throughout society. We remain committed to this vision. What does it mean to us in 2011?
BTO Replication Project
The BTO Network is an alliance of groups organizing to prevent displacement and keep people in their homes Post Foreclosure. Network sites are: Boston, Northside (Malden, Medford, Revere, Chelsea, Providence, RI, Lower Merrimack Valley Springfield, Lynn, and Worcester.
Programs & Campaigns
Movement Building and Leadership Development
CL/VU maintains an active and aggressive grassroots effort through its bank tenant and tenant associations along with effective coalition work and engagement with political leaders. We promote the ongoing education and development of bank tenants, homeowners, and tenant leaders.
Tenant Organizing
Over the past 30 years, CL/VU has fought for rent control and preserved hundreds of units of expiring-use housing. Using a model of tenant-landlord negotiation drawn from labor organizing, we have won long-term contracts on over 1000 units that stipulated affordable rent and upkeep.
Bank Organizing: Post-Foreclosure Eviction Defense Campaign
In 2007 City Life/Vida Urbana (CL/VU) noticed the increasing number of foreclosure evictions in housing court. Supporting tenants to stay in their homes led us to launch the Post Foreclosure Eviction Defense Campaign.