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2024 Kansas City metropolitan area rent strike
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| 2024 Kansas City metropolitan area rent strike | |||
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| Date | October 1, 2024 – present[1][2] | ||
| Location | Kansas City metropolitan area, Missouri
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| Goals | |||
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| Resulted in | Ongoing | ||
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Since October 1, 2024, members of the Kansas City Tenants Union in the cities of Kansas City, Missouri and Independence, Missouri began a rent strike after voted approval and failed negotiations with their landlords and Fannie Mae. Tenants of Independence Towers and Quality Hill Towers, two apartment complexes involved with the dispute, have complained about poor living conditions, with maintenance reports going unaddressed. This is the first rent strike in the area since 1980, and the first ever targeting the federal government of the United States.
The goals of the strikers are federal rent regulation, collectively bargained leases, and new ownership for the complexes. One of the landlords has labeled the claims made against them as false and stated that they were working with the tenants union and were starting maintenance; they said that the strike prevented them from doing so. Tenants have claimed that they had seen no significant improvements and said the landlord refused to meet with them to discuss the issue.
Background
[edit]Quality Hill Towers is an apartment complex owned by Sentinel Real Estate Corporation, located at 817 Jefferson Street in the West Bottoms neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. The building was purchased by the company through a $9 million loan provided by Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae declared the property to be in poor condition and gave Sentinel the loan in an attempt to refinance the complex.[4][2] It is estimated to house over 250 residents, 140 of which have joined the Kansas City Tenants Union. Tenants of Quality Hill Towers have stated that the residence has had poor living conditions, with them having to deal with pest infestations and plumbing issues. Tenants were threatened with eviction when they brought up the situation to the landlords, and maintenance requests went unaddressed.[4]
Independence Towers is an apartment complex owned by TriGild, Inc., located in the town of Independence, Missouri. The ownership of the building was given to TriGild after its previous owners, FTW Investments and Tango Management, were ousted by a court in May 2024 after failing to pay back a loan to Fannie Mae.[2] In a similar fashion to Quality Hill Towers, Independence Towers tenants have complained about poor living conditions.[5] Independence Towers passed its city inspection in 2023 amid demand for action.[6]
Strike
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Following failed negotiations with the landlords and Fannie Mae, the Quality Hill Towers Tenant Union and the Independence Towers Tenant Union voted in favor of a strike starting on October 1, per an announcement by the Kansas City Tenants Union.[7][2] This is the first rent strike in Kansas City since 1980, and described by tenants as the first ever targeting the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.[8][6] Tara Raghuveer, director of the union, stated they were targeting the American federal government as a way to criticize the systemic issues of the rental market.[9] Tenants initially refused to pay over $60,000 in rent until their demands were met,[6] which included:[2]
- Collectively bargained leases
- National rent caps
- New ownership for the complexes
According to Missouri state law, tenants have the right to withhold rent if the landlord violates “implied warranty habitability”, where the landlord has to maintain the living conditions and security of their property. However, this does not protect members of tenants unions, who could be evicted.[2] Sentinel distributed late fees to strikers as a "friendly fall reminder”, which were burned in retaliation.[10][8] On October 25, Fannie Mae authorized $1.35 million for repairs at Independence Towers. Union leaders characterized the payout as a bailout and demanded to negotiate directly with FHFA director Sandra Thompson.[11]
The strike continued on November 1, bringing the total withheld rent between the two properties to $125,000.[12] About 24% of renters living in Quality Hill Towers and 57% of renters at Independence Towers were on strike as of November 2024. According to Raghuveer, KC Tenants has been encouraging other tenants unions nationwide to join the strike.[13]
Response
[edit]
Sentinel labeled the statements made by the Kansas City Tenants Union as false, and claimed that they were working with the union. They revealed that maintenance was underway, and asserted that the strike prevented the repairs from happening. A statement from the Quality Hill Towers Union said that several attempts to negotiate with the landlord had been unsuccessful.[10]
Raghuveer has claimed that tenants have not seen any significant improvements and that the landlord's statement "added fuel to the fire."[9][2] Kansas City metropolitan area representative Emanuel Cleaver supported the strike after a visit to Independence Towers, where he described the apartment complex's condition as "horrible".[2][14]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Fernando, Aaron (4 October 2024). "Could This Rolling Rent Strike Make the Feds Protect Tenants?". Shelterforce. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Calacal, Celisa; Azim, Brandon (3 October 2024). "2 Kansas City-area apartment buildings go on rent strike over conditions: 'Nothing left to lose'". KCUR-FM. NPR. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ O'Shea Becker, Lily (1 October 2024). "'Not one cent': 2 Kansas City-area tenant unions launch rent strike". KSHB-TV. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ a b Alviz-Gransee, Noelle (8 September 2024). "Sick of 'horrific conditions,' KC apartment residents form largest tenant union in city". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Alviz-Gransee, Noelle (14 October 2024). "Faulty window was reported before child's fatal fall in Independence. Why won't city act?". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Alviz-Gransee, Noelle (October 14, 2024). "Two KC area tenant unions initiate largest rent strike since 1980 amid poor conditions". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Flener, Matt (27 September 2024). "Tenants vote to authorize rent strikes at two troubled KC-area apartment buildings". KMBC-TV. Archived from the original on 29 September 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ a b Green, PJ (October 14, 2024). "Some KC tenants hit with late fees after historic rent strike with Independence tenants". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ a b Ujiyediin, Nomin; Love, Byron J. (3 October 2024). "Kansas City apartments go on a rent strike". KCUR-FM. NPR. Retrieved 16 October 2024. Events occur at 11:48 (9a) and 13:10 (9b) respectively.
- ^ a b Abundis, Megan (5 October 2024). "Kansas City-area tenant unions strike as they burn late rent fee notices, withhold $60K in rent". KSHB-TV. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Seckington, Dillon. "Independence Towers Tenant Union get $1.35 million win in rent strike". Fox 4 KC.
- ^ Arougheti, Ilana. "Kansas City dual tenant unions reauthorize rent strike for a second month". Kansas City Star.
- ^ Mansaray, Mili. "The growing stakes in the Kansas City rent strike as it passes 30 days". The Beacon Kansas City.
- ^ Flener, Matt (3 September 2024). "Congressman Emanuel Cleaver tours apartments where 3-year-old boy fell to his death in July". KMBC-TV. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
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