New Orleans renters: this is a thread of resources and ideas for us.
Also, @JanePlaceCLT's Renters Rights Assembly is holding regular zoom sessions every Thursday. Renters and low income homeowners alike can seek help through these avenues.
. @CityOfNOLA is providing some rental assistance programs, if you're subscribed to @nolaready alerts you've probably heard about it. https://ready.nola.gov/incident/coronavirus/city-of-new-orleans-covid-19-rental-assistance-pro/
Aside from Renters Rights Assembly, which builds community and solidarity in addition to providing a direct service, the aforementioned are individual solutions to a collective problem. I would like to provide some tools and ideas toward modest, but scalable, collection action.
In the @SLLShelps piece in @antigravitymag, there are instructions on how to find out if your landlord has a mortgage freeze. It's not super easy but it's not impossible. One option is asking your landlord. You may not feel comfortable doing that.
Another option is looking it up at http://orleanscivilclerk.com/onlinerecords.html. Right now @Cdcclerksoffice has made registration free (you have to check a box) but you still have to enter card info to submit your application. ( @ClerkChelsey we'd love if that changed!)
You can also check to see the status of your landlord's mortgage by contacting @FreddieMac or @FannieMae, instructions, again, can be found via @SLLSHelps and are on their @antigravitymag contribution: http://antigravitymagazine.com/feature/tenants-rights-covid-19-legal-updates-fa
Why is it so important to learn the status of your landlord's mortgage? Well, if they aren't paying, why are you? Most of us don't have income right now and have yet to see much, if any, public assistance. Let's talk about some approaches to this situation.
If you're extremely online, you've probably seen the often fraught and confusing discourse about rent strikes in the past month.
Why the convo has been crabby: everyone's crabby rn, longtime organizers (some w founder's syndrome tho most in good faith) worry newbies will inadvertently endanger themselves/neighbors by acting rashly, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founder%27s_syndrome
people in favor of radical action don't feel understood or supported by some longterm organizers, and finally (this is the most important point imo): most people do not fully appreciate how dramatically regional differences impact the conditions and outcomes at play here.
New Orleans is not the Bay. Setting aside myriad & complex cultural differences, we're paralyzed by the state constitution in ways other cities aren't. Not much talk of rent strikes here. I'm not an expert, I'm looped into the housing world but I'm sick & don't leave my house.
However, I want to offer some resources that may be helpful or empowering for creatively exploring action. I'm not telling anyone what to do or saying what will work.
To recap: 1. Plug into the legal assistance linked previously. 2. Attempt to determine your landlord's mortgage status via direct inquiry or research.
3. Find out what other properties your landlord owns. Start at http://nolaassessor.com , searching their name. It's a finicky website (like all city websites, LOL). Try variations of their name including just their last name or common misspellings...really.
Your landlord might be operating under an LLC. If they are, search that. You should also just google their name and/or the LLC to figure out what other names they may be operating under. You may not find them all. Public records are an underutilized resource but they have limits.
Though it's now out of date, searching your landlord's name or LLC on the STR license database may also give you some leads. Again: humans entered this data. People's names may be misspelled or incomplete. They may use a spouse's or relative's name. https://data.nola.gov/Housing-Land-Use-and-Blight/Map-of-Short-Term-Rental-Licenses/j5u3-2ueh
4. Hopefully now you know who else is paying rent to your landlord. If you live in an apartment building, you already knew. If you live in a house, maybe you have more info now. 5. The next step is to talk to your neighbors/fellow tenants. This is tricky in a pandemic.
My landlord group texts our building when repairs/pest control comes by, & being a commie/friendly neighbor I also have names/numbers (& a little rapport) that way. If you're lucky like me you can just text folks.
If not, I've heard of people writing notes and slipping them under doors. Introduce yourself, acknowledge these hard times, say you hope they're doing well. Ask if they'd be interested in talking with other tenants about the rent situation. Leave your number.
You might choose to share any spicy tidbits about your landlord's mortgage sitch. Up to you to take the temp of tenant/landlord relations and pick a tone accordingly. No need to malign your landlord here, maybe even be cautious bc you don't know others experiences.
Here's a guide from @TenantsTogether on what a tenants' union is, why they're important, and what values come into play. Yeah, it's written by and for Californians, but this is a great and comprehensive resource. Read it. http://www.tenantstogether.org/resources/form-tenants-union
At this point you'll have noticed that I'm suggesting you form a tenants' union, whether or not you want to call it that.
So you've collected contact info from neighbors/tenants. You won't have all of it. Ask people you HAVE managed to make contact with if they know numbers of people you haven't reached. Don't be discouraged by low numbers. This is normal. Keep going.
This whole time you should be taking notes of who you've talked to, their contact info, where they live, and anything you've learned about what their situation/level of enthusiasm is. Time to hold a meeting, zoom or conference call, fill in the folks who can't make it.
The @TenantsTogether guide has great info on how to plan and run this meeting. Read that, they're the experts. In short, you'll find out how people are doing and what they are afraid of, what they want and need, including but not limited to rent.
Since you've been keeping up with info from @SLLSHelps & @JanePlaceCLT, you're now well-positioned to provide resources & answers. Cool! Very menschy. We love to see it.
Through the process of opening & continuing this dialogue, you'll learn what resources your neighbors lack, how they feel about the landlord, & what the looming 1st of the month means to them & their families. (Incidentally, this next one's May Day 😇 https://www.iww.org/history/library/misc/origins_of_mayday)
What comes next is utterly dependent on the specifics of your neighbors/your fellow tenants who share a landlord. Maybe nothing immediate will come of this other than a stronger community (awesome regardless but esp should a crisis arise).
Maybe you'll decide to write your landlord a letter requesting a rent reduction, signed by your tenants' union or multiple individual signatories. Maybe some of your neighbors can't pay rent at all.
Before you act, it seems like a good time to check in with local housing lawyers to be certain of your rights and risks, which everyone should be clear on. If you do decide to take an action, being plugged into the Renters Rights Assembly and broader community can only help.
If you decide to take action, depending on the specifics of your situation, the comfort level of your union members, the advice of legal advocates, & the anticipated response from your landlord, you might decide outside attention would keep you safer.
New Orleans has some of the best local news reporters and publications in the country and as one of them (albeit the editor of a monthly culture/arts rag) I can say with near certainty that they want to hear about your actions.
I'm not a member of either so this only just occurred to me but I'm certain that groups like @NewOrleansDSA and @NOWCRJ would love to hear about your organizing and support it.
Again: I am not suggesting that you autonomously call for a rent strike in your building. I am not a lawyer. I am not telling you what to do. I am simply offering resources that may be helpful. I am not an expert!
However, if you are interested in exploring this further, DM me & I may be able to share additional resources with you. Please keep in mind I'm sick & my capacity fluctuates. Well that's it for now. Have a nice day. Read In Defense of Housing by @davidjmadden & @PeterMarcuse.
P.S. One of my local housing genius warrior pals just tipped me off that another way to search for your landlord's possible LLCs is the @Louisiana_sos website, it’s the “search for LA business filings” link.
This Sunday April 18, @AutonomousUnion is having a tenant organizing townhall at 12pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/354294145527152/
You can follow @fictionalbeck.
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