A crowd of more than 40 people gathered outside the residences at 285 Eastern Parkway on Aug. 26 to rally in support of ten residents resisting eviction from their rent-stabilized apartments.
Renaissance Realty Group plans to demolish the apartment complexes at both 285 and 291 Eastern Parkway and notified tenants of this plan on July 28, the tenants say. The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal gave tenants 20 days to respond, and the 10 remaining residents of 285 Eastern Parkway are pushing back, according to Crown Heights Tenant Union organizer Michael Hollingsworth. CHTU organized the rally on behalf of the 10 tenants.
“Not that long ago, 285 and 291 were bustling with families,” Hollingsworth told the crowd. “Kids would play out here. Everybody knew each other. There was a community.” Now, 291 Eastern Parkway sits empty.
In the last few years, Renaissance Realty has “used bullying, harassing, eviction and also buyouts” to empty the complexes, Hollingsworth alleged.
Four remaining tenants are older adults, including Jean Thompson, a tenant since 1981. Thompson told the crowd she does not intend to give up her apartment — where she raised four children. Renaissance Realty offered her $285,000 to move, but she is not interested in money, Thompson said.
“The money sounds good for a young person, but it doesn’t suit me,” Thompson said. “I’m accustomed to living here. I know where my stores are, and my rent is affordable. It’s safe and I’m comfortable here. I don’t want to learn a new place at my age.”
Pamela Hicken said that she’s never had an issue with her landlord in her 45 years as a resident of 285 Eastern Parkway.
“We're good tenants; we always pay our rent on time,” she told BK Reader. “We never had a problem.”
Hicken said she would willingly relocate temporarily to allow for renovations and would accept a reasonable rent increase after the changes had been made. She said she wishes the landlords would be willing to work out a solution with the tenants that benefits both parties, especially the more vulnerable senior tenants.
“I feel safe in my apartment,” she said. “I'm comfortable here. I have memories here. I have nowhere else to go. I don't know what else to do.”
Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest — representing Assembly District 57, which includes parts of Crown Heights — expressed her support for the tenants in an address to the crowd.
Forrest said this rally demonstrated Thompson and Hicken are not alone in their fight against eviction and that the community must continue to “stand together and fight back.”
“We will continue to let landlords know that they have been served a notice,” Forrest said. “Crown Heights stands united against the slumlords.”
Hollingsworth said that blocking this eviction could help prevent others in the future.
“Now is our time to stand 10 toes down and make sure that demolition evictions don't become a tool in the toolbox that these landlords can use to throw our neighbors out into the streets,” Hollingsworth said.
“I’ve worked hard all my life,” Thompson said. “I’ve earned the right to remain here for the rest of my life if I want to.”
The residents have submitted a request to the New York Department of Housing and Community Renewal for a 60-day extension to respond to Renaissance's notice, Hollingsworth said. Renaissance Realty did not respond to a request for comment.
