Over Valentine’s day weekend tenants, homeowners, restaurant owners, and advocates in Malden, Chelsea, Mattapan, and outside the statehouse showed our love for each other through a series of actions for statewide protections against evictions and foreclosures, especially during a pandemic to shape an equitable recovery. In this newsletter, you'll find actions you can take if you're facing eviction or foreclosure and if you’re trying to help others. // Durante el fin de semana del Día de San Valentín, inquilinos, propietarios de viviendas, propietarios de restaurantes y defensores mostraron su amor mutuo a través de una serie de acciones para obtener protecciones estatales contra los desalojos y embargos, especialmente durante una pandemia para dar lugar a una recuperación equitativa. En este boletín, encontrará acciones que puede tomar si se enfrenta a un desalojo o embargo y/o si está tratando de ayudar a otros.
MVRCS Stop The Unfair No-Fault-Evictions,! That's my home! Negotiate!
On Saturday, 2/12 around 100 people showed up to support the Maplewood Square Tenant Association at 22 Lebanon–made up of families, parents, elders, and local business owners–to demand a space for negotiations with the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School. The school purchased long-term affordable buildings and wants to pursue immediate no-fault evictions of the people and local businesses in those buildings. Read more! //El sábado 12 de febrero, alrededor de 100 personas acudieron a apoyar a la Asociación de Inquilinos de Maplewood Square en 22 Lebanon, compuesta por familias, padres, ancianos y propietarios de locales comerciales, para exigir un espacio para las negociaciones con la Escuela Chárter Regional Mystic Valley. La escuela compró edificios asequibles a largo plazo y quiere efectuar desalojos inmediatos sin culpa a las personas y locales comerciales en esos edificios. ¡Lea más!
Photo: Maplewood Square tenant association rally (2022; credit: Lauren Miller)
Children led street theater in protest of evictions and foreclosure: in front of Massachusetts State House
Continuing a tradition of collaboration between youths in CLVU and in Boston Workers Circle, a group of children took action for a 2nd year to help keep families in their homes. Fifth-graders involved in Boston Workers Circle and youth from CLVU used street theater and signs to represent the thousands of homes statewide that would benefit from stopping non-emergency evictions and foreclosures in the pandemic. Read more here with a quote from one of the BWC students. Read more about the 5th grade and youth-led street theater here. // Siguiendo con una tradición de colaboración entre los jóvenes de CLVU y el Círculo de Trabajadores de Boston, un grupo de niños tomó medidas por el segundo año para ayudar a mantener a las familias en sus hogares. Los estudiantes de 5º grado involucrados en el Círculo de Trabajadores de Boston y los jóvenes de CLVU usaron el teatro callejero y los letreros para representar a los miles de hogares en todo el Estado que se beneficiarían de detener los desalojos y embargos que no son de emergencia durante la pandemia. Lea más aquí con una cita de uno de los estudiantes de BWC. Lea mas aqui.
Photo: Boston Workers Circle 5th Grader rallying after street theater (2022; credit: Madeleine Jackman)
Court support with Michelle Díaz, Chelsea Broadway Capital tenant
A group of Broadway Capital tenants and supporters showed love for tenant leader Michelle Diaz in a court-support action on Valentine's Day. While Ms. Diaz was attending her eviction court mediation, she could hear the crowd chanting from outside: “Michelle, we are with you!” Hearing the group helped Ms. Diaz to get through the frustrations she experienced during the zoom hearing. Read more about the Broadway Capital fight here. // Un grupo de inquilinos y simpatizantes de Broadway Capital mostraron amor por la líder de inquilinos Michelle Díaz en una acción de apoyo ante el tribunal el Día de San Valentín. Mientras la Sra. Díaz asistía a su cita por Zoom del tribunal, de su mediación de desalojo, podía escucharse a la multitud cantando desde afuera: "¡Michelle, estamos contigo!" Escuchar al grupo ayudó a la Sra. Díaz a superar la frustración que experimentó durante la audiencia por Zoom. Lea mas aqui.
Fairlawn Valentine’s Rally, DSF, STOP BREAKING OUR COMMUNITY’S HEARTS
Tenants and supporters rallied and peacefully marched to the onsite Fairlawn management office–operated by Winn Companies for DSF Group properties–to drop off a building-wide petition demanding negotiations. Despite Winn Management’s disrespectful and cruel refusal to open the door to receive the petition, tenant leaders at Fairlawn managed to slide the petition under the door and gave powerful speeches about how long they have been living at Fairlawn and their plan to continue fighting to stay in their homes. Read more about the Fairlawn tenant associations march to management offices here. // Los inquilinos y simpatizantes se manifestaron y marcharon pacíficamente a la oficina de administración de Fairlawn en el lugar, operada por Winn Management para las propiedades del Grupo DSF, y dejar una petición de los inquilinos de todo el edificio que exigía negociaciones. A pesar de la negativa irrespetuosa y cruel de Winn Management a abrir la puerta para recibir las peticiones, los líderes de inquilinos de Fairlawn lograron deslizarlas por debajo de la puerta y dieron poderosos discursos sobre cuánto tiempo han estado viviendo en Fairlawn y su plan para continuar luchando para permanecer en sus hogares. Lea mas aquí.
When We Fight We Win Podcast features: CLVU
A big shout out to the podcast invitation from When We Fight We Win by Agitarte Cultural Works 🇵🇷🇵🇷. This episode on housing justice features CLVU guests like co-executive director Mike Leyba and youth East Boston organizer Kim Landaverde. Guests talk about the importance of messaging on various mediums and the passion behind the creation of the book Alejandria Fights back along with Kim’s personal fight against a notice to quit and her family’s journey fighting for rental assistance for their family and at the same time applying for financial aid for college as a first-gen college student. Stay connected and follow the @whenwefightwewin and @agitarte_cultural_works across, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and listen to the podcasts on the audio streaming of your choice. Listen to Podcast featuring CLVU here. #WhenWeFightWeWin// Un abrazo al podcast y equipo de When We Fight We Win by Agitarte Cultural Works. El episodio que estamos levantando cuenta con invitados de CLVU como el codirector ejecutivo Mike Leyba y la organizadora de joven de East Boston Kim Landaverde. Los invitados hablan de la importancia de los mensajes en varios medios y la pasión detrás de la creación del libro: La Lucha de Alejandria, junto con la lucha personal de Kim contra un primer aviso de desalojo y la lucha de su familia batallando para la asistencia de renta para su familia y al mismo tiempo solicitando ayuda financiera para la universidad como un estudiante universitario de primera generación. Manténgase conectado y siga el podcast @whenwefightwewin y @agitarte_cultural_works a través, Instagram, Twitter, y Facebook, y sintonízate a los podcasts en varios plataformas, aqui el episodio con CLVU.
CLVU is HIRING a bilingual organizer, apply now!
CLVU is seeking a clever bilingual (English + Kreyol Ayisyen or Spanish) housing justice organizer to support our tenant organizing casework. This full-time position will deepen our community organizing through collective bargaining tactics, collective casework, and collective action. Click link here for full job description #CLVU #Hiring #HousingJustice
We're Hiring a Development Director! Apply!
City Life / Vida Urbana seeks a full-time Director of Development to raise funds and build solidarity. This is a key role within the development team, and will work closely with the co-executive directors, finance manager, communications team and organizing team. This individual must have a strong commitment to serving the interests of low and moderate-income people and fighting racial, class, and gender oppression. Click link here for full job description #CLVU #Hiring #HousingJustice
CLVU is Hiring a Grant writer!
City Life / Vida Urbana seeks a part-time (32 hours per week) Grant Writer to raise funds and build solidarity. This is a key role within the development team and will report to the co- Executive Directors and work closely with the Director of Organizing and Director of Impact & Evaluation. This individual must have a strong commitment to serving the interests of low and moderate-income people and fighting racial, class, and gender-based oppression. Click link here for full job description #CLVU #Hiring #HousingJustice
Finally, make sure to sign up for our Action Alert List; and build movement power with us to keep more people housed! // Finalmente, asegúrese de registrarse en nuestra Lista de Alerta de Acciones; ¡Y construya el poder del movimiento con nosotros para mantener a más personas en sus viviendas!