United Front Says: Housing Is a Human Right!

A united front is mobilizing around the powerful idea that housing is a human right.  For over twenty hours testifying before the state legislature's Housing Committee, a diverse outpouring of tenants and allies demanded limits on a corporate landlord’s unchecked power to increase rents and gut communities with profit-driven evictions.

Cap The Rent CT, a coalition of over 50 organizations including tenant unions, labor unions, housing rights and legal aid organizations, community, faith, socialist and student groups testified that rent increases are not fair and are harming the working class.

One mother from Meriden, Anabel Hernández, told about the eviction violence she experienced after falling behind on her landlord’s aggressive rent increase. Speaking in Spanish with translation she said, “Un día a las 8:00 am llegó el marshals y sacó todo a la calle, yo cargué solo a mis hijos.”  (“One day at 8:00 am the marshal threw my things onto the street, I only carried my children.”)  She said working class mothers demand caps on rent because: “La vivienda digna es nuestro derecho.”  (“Dignified housing is our right.”)

Connecticut AFL-CIO president Ed Hawthorne said union members are burdened with 30% to 40% rent increases in just the last two years calling for rent caps to protect working people from homelessness.

Representing the Connecticut Communist Party, Mariano Rivera said people in his community are being driven into unprecedented levels of homelessness, including 25% childhood homelessness, because of the drive of landlords to extract value from the productive members of society. Saying housing as a human right, he warned of the growing crisis of financial investors acquiring mobile home parks from independent owners generating massive profits at the expense of low income and disabled park residents

Outnumbered by tenants five to one, corporate landlords provided fear-based testimony that a cap on rent increases would, somehow, cause rents to increase.  Working class tenants demanded a rent cap of 2.5%.

In a public poll last month, over 72% of people in Connecticut supported a cap on rents.  Struggling to survive, many are tired of paying for the landlord’s privilege and profit.

There is recognition that the dangerous housing crisis caused by landlord speculation and barbarism needs to be addressed through organized and direct community action.

The movement to build safe, healthy, peaceful communities says: Housing is a Human Right! 

Black History Celebration Features the Struggle for Racial Equity in Connecticut

The 49^th annual People's World African American History celebration is held in resistance and unity for a “third reconstruction” to end poverty and undo the injustices of centuries of racism, greed and militarism.

Themed “The Power of Youth – The Power of Collective Action. Third Reconstruction 2023: Equity Requires Revenue,” the celebration will be held on Saturday February 25 at 4 pm at the New Haven Peoples Center 37 Howe St. It will also be live streamed at the Facebook event page “49^th People's World”.

Featured will be a panel discussion with members of the Recovery for All coalition who are challenging the state legislature to immediately address racial and economic inequities in this wealthiest state with living wage jobs for essential workers and fully funded public education and health care regardless of immigration status.

Moderated by Jahmal Henderson, union member and Communist Party organizer, panelists will include representatives from SEIU 1199 healthcare workers union, Husky 4 Immigrants, New Haven Federation of Teachers and New Britain Racial Justice Coalition.

They will discuss their struggles, their vision, and the national context in the fight against racism and for equality.

The program will open with presentation of prizes for entries of digital art and poetry in the Arts and Writing Competition Grades 8 to 12 .

The program will also include drumming from the diaspora by Brian Jarawa Gray and Friends, and performance by youth poets and dancers including Diamond Hula and Earl Ali Randall.

Guest speakers, films and youth marches have all been a part of this annual tradition hosted by the People's World upholding African American contributions and culture.

The roots of Black History Month go back to 1926 when, in response to the denial of the contributions of African Americans, Dr G. Carter Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History initiated a week long recognition. That week eventually grew into an official month long celebration 

 

Today as the far right actively seeks to erase from schools and libraries the story of enslavement and oppression and the history of Black resistance, the celebration of African American history month takes on added significance toward carrying forward the freedom struggle for equality for all.

Rallies to fund Health Care and Education for All Fill the Capitol

The message to the State Legislature is clear: the time is now to enact an equity agenda and fund the rights of everyone to health care, education, housing and all human needs.

This week the focus at two hearings was on expanding healthcare for immigrants and increased funding for higher education with no tuition increases.

Over 200 people packed a nine hourValentine's Day public hearing before the Human Services Committee at the Capitol and on zoom to testify in favor of HB 6616 “To Expand Husky Health Benefits to Those Ineligible Due to Immigration Status.” The legislature expanded HUSKY health coverage to children up to age 12 last year. The demand is for full expansion to age 26.

Dozens of immigrant youth shared horrifying stories of serious illness due to denial of care, many translated from Spanish. Testimony also came from health professionals and advocates. “Together we will achieve justice for our communities,” Husky 4 All tweeted after the hearing.

The struggle continues for health care coverage that includes immigrant parents and adults of all ages who would otherwise qualify.

“Equity Means Access to Higher Education for All” was the demand as students, faculty and staff rallied on the north steps of the Capitol protesting Governor Lamont's proposed budget cuts to higher public education prior to an appropriations committee hearing.

A student walkout at the University of Connecticut the same day protested tuition increases. Connecticut has the fifth highest student loan debt in the country. Many students work more than one job to afford their education. Among the demands was a call for free higher public education.

“Our colleges and state universities serve poor and working-class families who are barely struggling to survive in this economy,” said the Recovery for All Coalition calling for “more funding on our equity agenda investments.”

A huge turnout is expected at the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee hearing on February 27. At the Recovery for All press conference last month, State Sen Gary Winfield declared “equity requires revenue.” While Governor Lamont continues to oppose raising taxes on the wealthiest who pay less than everyone else, the demand for a fair tax system and to tax the rich is taking hold as thousands of essential workers, families, women and people of color struggle to make ends meet.

Grassroots Organizing Pushes Legislature to Cap the Rent

As tenants across the state and country struggle for housing stability, a shared vision is emerging for a Connecticut where everyone has a dignified place to lay down roots in their community.

An alarming trend of corporate firms hoarding housing to increase profits continues to devastate thousands of families suddenly facing eviction.

Most evictions are filed in cities with the largest numbers of people of color including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Britain. All except New Britain are on the Princeton Evictions Lab’s top evicting cities.

A movement of tenants facing unfair rent increases and evictions is being organized. This fight for rent stability inspired State Sen Gary Winfield to introduce SB 138 to cap annual rent increases at 2.5% and expand good cause eviction protections.

Next, Sen Jorge Cabrera introduced SB 37 which would protect the often forgotten 11,000 mobile home owners in Connecticut facing unfair rent lot increases and oppressive lease modifications from corporate park owners. 

This growing movement for rent stability propelled the legislator's Housing Committee to introduce HB 6588, which would require a 90 day notice of rent increases and limit increases to 4% plus annual inflation. This means landlords could raise rents up to 10% this year.

The proposed bill has other weaknesses. It would exempt new construction for 15 years and fails to provide stabilization in between tenants. When a unit becomes vacant, landlords could increase rents at higher than usual rates.

Even with these weaknesses, corporate landlords and their friends are coalescing to oppose HB 6588.

Tenants are coming together in support of a strengthened version of the bill. The power of grassroots organizing is changing the scope of what is possible to win.

Cap the Rent, a coalition of more than 40 organizations, is mobilizing for next week's public hearing to make sure the Housing Committee and legislative leaders hear strong support from tenants to cap rent increases at 2.5%, cover tenants in between vacancies and expand good cause eviction protections for all tenants.

Hearing date and sign up opportunities to testify in person or on zoom will be announced for February 14th or 16^th by the Housing Committee.

It will take unity in large numbers to achieve a shared vision of housing stability for all.