Members of the Blake Street Tenants Union at Elizabeth Apartments in New Haven made their collective voices known Wednesday, submitting a petition against mass eviction notices by Ocean Management.
“I think it’s disgusting that my landlord, who is not from here and who doesn’t live here, is treating people’s dignity, stability and security like it’s a game to make money,” said Sarah Giovanniello, vice president of the Blake Street Tenant’s Union.
Fifteen renters and families were notified on Saturday that they would need to leave by the first of the month.
“Fifteen families. It’s unacceptable, we won’t have it,” said area Alder Brian Wingate.
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His was among the voices to show support for the union. Its members have a lot at stake.
“They’ll have it on the record that they are part of an eviction proceeding, and they will be blacklisted from trying to rent another place, which will be on everyone’s mind if they do indeed get evicted,” said Hannah Srajer, president of the Connecticut Tenants Union.
The evictions come after complaints against Ocean Management and Shmuel Aizenberg, who has at least 60 housing violations in six criminal court cases. One of those cases involves Giovanniello, who said the management company has ignored her complaints about mice.
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She filed a complaint with the city’s Livable Cities Initiative and representatives failed the company three times, leading to the court case.
Giovanniello was on the tenant negotiation team and met with Ocean Management three times before they walked away and came back with eviction notices. She says they weren’t far off in dollar amounts.
“I think we could all pay a little bit more. But 20 percent when the service has declined, the communication is not there, there are code violations all over the apartment complex that are not getting responded to, it just seems a little hard to take,” Giovanniello said.
Union members say they’ve been trying to work with Ocean Management and Aizenberg, but even conversations are a challenge.
“I said ‘Hey did you get our letter?’ knowing that they did. Aizenberg turned around and gave me his back and refused to make eye contact with me for the entire conversation,” said Jessica Stamp, steward of the Blake Street Tenants’ Union.
Court records also show Aizenberg is named in a lawsuit over a $10 million improvement loan in default. We contacted both Aizenberg’s criminal housing attorney and Ocean Management for a response to these claims and we haven’t heard back.
New Haven’s tenant’s union laws were signed by New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker last year. Now, the state’s first city-recognized tenants’ union is fighting back against the situation they were formed to protect against, saying they’re prepared to go to court.
“I didn’t know how powerful that law would be, but today you realize just how powerful that law is,” Elicker said. “You all will have shown just how much power you have and how much power so many other people can have by organizing.”
The mayor’s office says the city’s fair rent commission will schedule a retaliatory hearing in this case.
“So, this is our official notice for Oceans to quit those evictions, and to come back to the negotiating table tomorrow at 9 a.m., and we look forward to seeing you there,” Srajer said.
