Dozens of Rogers Park tenants are gathering this morning at 1246 W. Pratt in an effort to save their 12-story apartment building from a developer who is trying to evict them en masse.
At today's 10:30 a.m. press conference, they will demand better building maintenance, an end to the evictions, and the right to renew their leases at their current rent -- as well as a meeting with the building's management, in hopes of preventing dozens of low-income residents from being made homeless.
The tenants will be joined by supporters from Northside Action for Justice, Metropolitan Tenants Organization and Communities United Against Foreclosure and Eviction.
Since 1246 Pratt LLC purchased the Astor House building in November, the company has filed at least 27 eviction cases against residents and has forced out at least a third of the building's tenants. For the few who are getting the option to renew their leases, the property manager has announced plans to increase rent up to 57 percent.
Tenant Daniel Pfeiffer hopes standing up for his rights will inspire residents elsewhere in the city fight for fair, affordable housing and bring attention to the growing housing crisis in the Chicago area. "Low-income people are being pushed away. Where is left for us to go? Because it is happening all over."
As the building's owners turn their attention to renters who can afford to pay more for rehabbed units, current tenants suffer plagues of bedbugs, mice and roaches.
Security is woefully inadequate; units in the building lack working fire and carbon monoxide detectors, and fire hoses are inaccessible. Some tenants are even without working plumbing and utilities. Frequent elevator outages make it impossible for tenants with limited mobility to leave the building, sometimes for days at a time.
"It's a growing problem throughout the city. From South Shore to Howard Street, from the Lawrence House building in Uptown to the Château Hotel in Lakeview, the issue is money, and the developers want more. So they are trying to get rid of us," says Laurence Williams, a tenant in the building.
Press Contacts:
Daniel Pfeiffer, 312-576-3819
Marc Kaplan, Northside Action for Justice, 773-407-2001
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