Advocates Highlight Sub-Standard Housing Conditions on Tenant's Eviction Day
46 South Main Street, BARRE, Vermont
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 12 Noon
Contact:
Jean Tong, jean.vermontworkerscenter@gmail.com
Heather Pipino, bettypageturner@gmail.com
In March 2006, Kai Sun Huang, a 60 year old Chinese immigrant, rented an apartment in Barre, Vermont from Daniel and Kathleen Thompson. A few weeks before, Huang met the Thompson's at a barber shop-beauty salon and was shown the apartment with promises made by the landlord to fix it up before Huang moved in.
The house was in disrepair – with evidence of mold and water damage in nearly every room. Unfortunately, those conditions continued and grew worse during Mr. Huang's five years of living there. Many other tenants came and went, but Mr. Huang sought justice.
As programs for the most vulnerable continue to be slashed, more Vermonters – both long-term and recent citizens alike – will continue to face challenges in seeking practical legal recourse, despite law that support their efforts.
Mr. Huang began withholding rent in July 2007, after many verbal and written attempts to address the structural flaws of the premises to the landlords. Frequent flooding from the roof was common, broken pipes due to responsibility for heating enused, crumbling walls, flaking lead paint, and long-standing mold and water damage were not repaired safely or at all.
While the City of Barre Inspector deemed the unit was “no longer to be used for human habitation,” Huang lost in court due to refusal to permit access to the apartment. Huang did not have legal representation and as a result, was ordered to pay over $18,0000 in back rent. Huang paid the back rent in full and will be evicted on 4/18/2011.
In a written statement Kaisun said, “I wanted to have an up to code, safe, decent, place to stay, go to work, and support my family. I am a tenant living in really bad housing owned by a landlord who doesn’t respond to my repeated requests to repair the apartment. All the apartment units are unlivable and mine is the worst. I’ve learned heart-breaking lessons about how unattainable the American dream is for a new immigrant like myself, because it is hard to just meet basic needs, even though I am a hard-working person and I have worked at the same factory for the last 5 years. I have a family I want to take care of. But I don’t have a decent place to live. I don’t understand how the landlord can continue to rent this place out. What I want to see everyone in Barre to have livable housing. I want to see everyone living in a healthy environment and treated with dignity.”
Community organizer Heather Pipino said, “An increasing number of Vermonters face deteriorating housing conditions, unaffordable heating expenses, and are living in unsafe and undignified situations. It troubles me that there aren't enough advocates to support the most vulnerable within our communities. Our budget priorities — most notably our inability to tax higher income earners — have created a tenuous situation where it's nearly impossible to achieve any sort of human right to fair housing.”
Kaisun's story exemplifies the challenges faced by low-income tenants when seeking advocacy support and legal representation in an over-burdened and under-staffed system. Advocates will be offering tours of the property to point out many repairs that could've been made without access to the apartment under eviction, as well as highlight the challenges for achieving housing justice in an economy that doesn't put people first.
“All over the country, people organized spontaneously to stop evictions. In New York, in Chicago, in other cities–when word spread that someone was being evicted, a crowd would gather; the police would remove the furniture from the house, put it out in the street, and the crowd would bring the furniture back.” Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States p. 394
Thank you. As I like to say, Our Backyard.
I think its very sad that intelligent people can write an article like this without doing any research, or finding the facts first. Mr Huang is a professional tenant, abusing the system, and making fools out of all of you. Did he mention to you about his two previous landlords that paid him to leave? Mr Huang stopped paying rent, because he received a no cause eviction notice, because the Landlord wanted to renovate the apartment. He then complained to every state and local official so he could to stay there as long as he could. Mr huang was responsible for paying the heat, during the two frozen pipes incidents. The falling ceilings and crumbling plaster were caused by rushing water escaping from burst pipes, due to Mr Huang not heating his apartment. Repairs were not made in MR huang’s apartment, because even with proper notice he refused to let workmen in to make repairs, and changed the locks, without giving the landlord a key.
Landlords in Vermont are the true victims here. Tenants have learned to abuse the system and live for free, and get free representation from legal Aide.
Landlord however have to shoulder their own expenses. The average Court eviction with court fees, lawyer fees, and sheriff fees, is $2000.00
In this case there is another $5000.00 in damages caused by frozen pipes.
Most landlords make between 10%-15% on their buildings, when the rent is paid. This building when occupied makes about $500.00 per month. With remaing damages, and lost rent while repairs are being made. It will be more than a year before the landlord gets back to ZERO.