June 24th, 2017 - Boston Housing Authority's Resident Advisory Board (RAB) sponsored a press conference in collaboration with City Life/Vida Urbana. RAB spoke out for Stanley, a Section 8 renter whose landlord, Advanced Property Management (APM), has issued him a huge rent hike that would lead to his displacement. We were joined by South West Boston Community Development Corporation who also spoke out against displacement. #StandWithStanley

WE RISE UP!: 2016 Annual Report

Check out City Life/Vida Urbana's 2016 Annual Report - the whole year in review in photos and stories. 

Donate NOW to help us stop displacement in Boston: clvu.org/donate

SUNDAY, MAY 21ST, 2017: Renters in a large apartment building in Dorchester rallied to prevent their displacement. Wallace Properties, their landlord, is raising rents sharply while many tenants complain of bad conditions. Dozens joined the Victory Road Tenant Association to support their collective voice for affordable rents and community stability. Sign up for our action alerts at clvu.org/stay_in_touch.

April 22nd, 2017: Immigrant families facing eviction at 26 School St. in Egleston Square, along with 100+ supporters, rallied and marched through Egleston Square down Washington Street. City Realty Group, don't evict the families at 26 School St.! Watch the story on Boston Neighborhood Network News, then sign the petition here: http://26school-clvu.nationbuilder.com #right2remain

Monday, March 6th: The big CITY COUNCIL HEARING on the JIM BROOKS COMMUNITY STABILIZATION ACT will finally happen! We need ALL OUT to PACK the HEARING!! We'll tell Boston City Council to PASS the Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act (formerly Just Cause Eviction). This is the moment to take a stand and interrupt Boston's displacement crisis. Also - make calls NOW to your district councilor and At-Large Councilors. Tell them to SUPPORT AND SAY YES TO JIM BROOKS STABILIZATION ACT (See http://www.justcauseboston.org/contact_your_city_councilor for numbers).

*We need housing stability and development without displacement.
*We need accountability for developers who are flipping our neighborhoods with no-fault evictions and increasing rents.
*We want real solutions for stabilizing the rent in Boston, so that city can maintain its rich socioeconomic, cultural, and racial diversity.

RSVP for the hearing on Facebook HERE.

On 1/20/17, over 2000 people including 60+ grassroots organizations - lead by the people most affected by Trump's policies - converged in the streets. We pledged to RISE, RESIST, and PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES - as and with low-income folks, people of color, LGBTQ folks, women, immigrants, the displaced, with various dis/abilities. Sign up for City Life/Vida Urbana's action alerts at http://www.clvu.org/stay_in_touch! 

This week, the release of a Rapid Health Impact Assessment of the proposed Just Cause Eviction Ordinance for Boston - months in the making - coincided with the formal filing of the legislation, after over a year of public debate and advocacy.  The study was conducted by a team of graduate students at MIT’s Department of Urban Studies & Planning, guided by City Life/Vida Urbana members and organizers, in collaboration with the Right to Remain Coalition.  It was funded by the Health Impact Project.

• Based on a literature review and input from stakeholders, this RHIA assesses the impact of the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance on factors that affect health, including stress and environmental exposures, and health conditions, including depression and substance use disorder.
• The populations most vulnerable to “no-cause” evictions in Boston struggle with disadvantages on several fronts, from educational attainment and income levels to physical and mental health challenges.
• Health effects for Boston renters stem from two predicted consequences of the ordinance: reduced incidence of eviction and reduced anticipation of eviction.
• The assessment finds that the ordinance may prevent eviction for a small number of people, but the health benefits for these people may be substantial. In contrast, the number of people who may experience reduced anticipation of eviction as a result of the ordinance is much larger – potentially the entire population of Boston renters, or over 400,000 people.
• If the Boston City Council adopts the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance and investigates and implements additional policies to reduce the overall incidence of eviction in Boston, it will likely improve renters’ health.
  

Click "read more" to see the executive summary, download the full report, get a plain-language version of the summary & report plus a discussion guide, and see a media roundup and more links on housing, displacement, and health.

Victory for low-income tenants: 59 apartments in Dorchester and Mattapan were converted into deed-restricted affordable housing! The conversion happened after the apartments were purchased by Codman Square Community Development Corporation (CSNDC), a local non-profit developer. After the former landlord went bankrupt, the tenants, along with the Boston Public Health Commission, held claims against the bankruptcy estate in excess of $3,500,000. Leveraging their claims, the tenants helped CSNDC buy the building, committing to waive the claims if CSNDC won the bid. 

CONGRATULATIONS to the powerful tenants who won this victory along with an incredible pro-bono legal team including Goulston & Storrs, Greater Boston Legal Services, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and support from the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development.

WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN! Read the article from the Dorchester Reporter: