The front entrance last Friday |
An ad-hoc group called Save 2724 11th Street organized the delivery of the report. According to an email from Amal Mimish, a member of the group, Save 2724 11th Street is a coalition of two groups. The first group is 35 tenants of the building, representing about 90% of the current residents. The second group are neighbors, "an active working group of about 20."
Save 2724 11th Street has a web site, a Facebook page, a Twitter feed, and online petition.
As reported in the SALM blog post of June 23, the owners of 2724 11th Street are currently not allowed to raise rents due to rent control restrictions. The owners have presented a "hardship petition" to DC authorities which, if approved, would allow them to raise the rent on all apartments by more than 31 percent, or between $200 and $300.
"Almost all the tenants are making very low wages, though working 2 or 3 jobs, and the others are on fixed retirement or disability incomes," Mimish said. "I would guess that maybe 10-15% could handle a small increase in rent if given adequate notice. The others would have to move out."
Save 2724 11th Street's on-line petition asks that the current owners sell the building to someone more willing to maintain it. Until that happens, the petition asks that owners make the necessary repairs.
After the visit to the management company, the group met on a T Street sidewalk near the management company's offices. Members of the group pledged to come back "every single month" until the situation improves.
Meanwhile, information from the web site of DC's Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) indicates the owners of 2724 11th Street requested a postponement of consideration until October 21 of an application for a handful of zoning variances. The proposal met with a frosty reception at a committee meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street in June -- see the same June 23 blog post referenced above. The request says the postponement will "allow more time for the ANC and the [owners] to work together."
The variances, if approved, would allow the owners to convert unused basement space 2714 11th Street to 11 apartments which would rent, initially, at market rate. Mimish, in her email, says the tenants would be asked to move temporarily while the new living space is prepared.
Save 2724 11th Street tweeted about the visit. I assembled the tweets into a narrative using the web tool Storify here.
The SCF Management representative is Stan Ford.
ReplyDeleteThe landlord and property manager Stan Ford Sr had been exploiting the tenants for a long time and still doing it. The former residents of 1433 T Street were not allowed to move back in. After being asked to move and move back in when the renovations are done. But that did not happen. SCF Management (Stan Ford) refused to let them back in, and changed the building into a Condominium. He have been trying to move people out, and all the suffering of the tenants is to have them get tired and move. In a meeting with the tenants Jennifer Parker (The owner's representative) Said that the tenants chose to live in the conditions they living in. Simply if you don't like it, move. Which was rude and a clear indication of their intention of trying to have people move. Some lived in this building for over 30 years. Now with the changes in the neighbourhood, now they want everybody ( low income persons) out, and are doing it illegally.
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