Photo via Facebook / Common Ground
Common Ground Rally
More than 50 tenants living in public housing and members of the Common Ground Executive Team gathered outside Mitchell Court on Wednesday, March 29, to denounce Director Willie Hines and the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) for retaliating against tenants who spoke out and organized for better living conditions.
The retaliation followed Common Ground's (CG) assembly on March 26, where more than 1,000 people voiced serious concerns about HACM. Just before 5 p.m. on March 29, Chris Logan and at least 19 other residents at Mitchell Court received citations for "unsanitary conditions" and smoking, which were posted on their doors for all to see. Many of the residents had never received a violation before and were confused, angry, or scared. A Common Ground inspection found that all but two of the violations were completely unfounded.
"They are trying to intimidate us and make us stop organizing," said Roye "Chris" Logan. "But I'm not intimidated. I'm going to keep fighting." Over the past several months, residents have been retaliated against for organizing, circulating a petition, submitting maintenance requests, and more. The manager shared by Mitchell Court and Lincoln Court has been retaliatory toward residents, even after Common Ground and tenants brought this to Hines' attention.
Residents' right to organize is recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Title 24 Code of Federal Regulations § 964.11 HUD Policy on Tenant Participation states that "HUD promotes resident participation and the active involvement of residents in all aspects of a HA's [Housing Authority's] overall mission and operation. Residents have a right to organize."
"It's not surprising Hines would come after Mitchell Court residents," said Logan. "We've been organizing the longest and the loudest." The Mitchell residents have been organizing with Common Ground, participating in various activities such as meeting with Hines, circulating or signing petitions, documenting maintenance issues, and talking with the media.
Common Ground has stated that they are persistent, and will not allow those fighting in the name of better living conditions get evicted by Hines. "We will stand against this type of retaliation," said Rev. Will Davis, Pastor of Invisible Reality Ministries and member of the Common Ground Executive Team. "This is morally indefensible behavior, Director Hines."
The situation in Mitchell Court highlights the importance of residents' right to organize and speak out about issues affecting their living conditions. It is crucial for housing authorities to recognize and respect tenants' voices and work with them to improve their living situations.
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