Harriet Tubman Residents Celebrate Win Against Tenant Abuse
By Paola Laverde and Tony Chapelle
After two years of being misled, stonewalled, and left to live in hazardous conditions, residents at an apartment complex for low-income senior citizens will celebrate the fruits of their strong organizing efforts – the appointment of a paid housing advocate by the City of Berkeley.
Everyone who lives in Berkeley is invited to join the victorious seniors and community members on Saturday, Sept. 9th between 1pm and 4pm for a celebration and rally at the Harriet Tubman Terrace apartments. Harriet Tubman is located at 2870 Adeline Street, in South Berkeley. The event will include a drum march, press conference, speakers, food, and music performances.
The new advocate is a liaison to monitor living conditions and services between tenants, FPI Management Company (FPI) and the landlord investment group led by Foundation Housing. Ann Simmons and her company, 2 Plus 1, began the advocate’s job in July.
Harriet Tubman Terrace is a low-income senior apartment complex that was originally built to house musicians and other artists in their old age. FPI is a privately-owned, third-party property manager for senior facilities that are funded by Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
“Our hard work has paid off,” said Dar Oyamasela, president of the tenants’ association at Harriet Tubman Terrace. “We have won round one, but the struggle continues.”
In 2022, the 91-unit Harriet Tubman Terrace underwent a major remodeling with the contractors making boneheaded mistakes and violating numerous building codes.
Tenants lived in dangerous conditions as workmen tore out kitchens, bathrooms, and closets in their apartments while exposing residents to deadly asbestos. The poor remodeling included installation of flimsy, sometimes unusable, replacement fixtures. Sliding-glass patio door frames were installed improperly and let in air and rain. The management relocated tenants to dirty, bug-ridden empty units in the building, often not caring that they were not accessible for disabled residents. Several tenants suffered the loss or destruction of personal items and family heirlooms.
The appalling conditions are shown in a YouTube video report, “Harriet Tubman Terrace Residents Face Horrendous Violations in their Homes,” with a link at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWB1FrIZ1rE.
While the residents and community celebrate the appointment of the paid ombudsman, the rally will also acknowledge the importance of empowering low-income senior tenants, many of whom are isolated and afraid to speak up for their housing rights.
“The advocate will approach management for us. That alone is helpful, as most of the residents are fearful of the management but not of the advocate,” said Elaine Bloom, a Harriet Tubman Terrace resident. “An ally will help us to live in safe housing and have quiet enjoyment in this our forever home.”
Many members of the neighborhood consider the two-year ordeal for the seniors at Harriet Tubman an affront to all South Berkeley. The grassroots group Friends of Adeline says the community and Berkeley City Council should be outraged. The Friends of Adeline calls it elder abuse, abuse by contractors, and ownership. “This is an indication of lack of concern for the people who live in [this] city,” the group says.
Read news coverage about the event here:
http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=ca6ab432-4c8e-4457-81b6-d6b53e1134ff