As tenants, the only way we can make sure landlords to take accountability for their actions is by forming unions and sticking together, no matter how tough the fight gets (Marisa Demarco/Source NM).Most of the time, landlords win. When I was evicted from my Chicago apartment in 1999, I had no legal rights to defend myself against all my furniture being thrown to the curb, leaving me, my daughter, and baby grandchild out in the cold.
This year though, my fellow tenants and I at Bowen Tower Apartments in Raytown won.
After a four-month long rent strike where we withheld over $110,000 in payments, our union was able to secure lower rents and utility bills along with commitments to fix long-term issues in the 10-story building outside Kansas City…