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Neighborhood Crisis Response: Case Study from Park Place

Francis R., Brooklyn, NY

Amadi O.; CHTU x Madison Tenant Power (MTP)

Mai S.; Crown Heights Tenant Union (CHTU)

Autonomous Tenant Union Network Convention, March 2, 2024

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Background and timeline
Key lessons
Skills

Cross-coalition communication
Rapid response network(s)
Working with the press
Staging a rally

Antecedentes y cronología
Lecciones importantes
Comunicación entre coaliciones
Red(es) de respuesta rápida
Colaboración con la prensa
Organizando una manifestación

Flow + Topics / Índice

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Background

Francis: elderly Black tenant, resident for 25 years (formerly the superintendent)
park-side brownstone with one apartment (second floor has been modified)
refused buyouts from various parties

Antecedentes

Francis: inquilino negro de edad mayor, residente desde hace 25 años (antiguo superintendente)
Edificio testilo brownstone con un apartamento (el piso segundo ha sido modificado)
Rechazó ofertas de compra de unas personas diferentes

Photo: Crown Heights C.A.R.E. Collective and the Crown Heights Tenant Union

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Timeline

April 2022: Goons moved into the building (and into tent encampments on the property grounds) and attempted to bully Francis out
August 2022: neighbors (most homeowners) from eight other buildings on the block send landlord Yehuda Gruenberg a demand letter; other community members break down the tent encampment by force

Cronología

Abril de 2022: Matones se establecieron en el edificio (y en campamentos de tienda dentro de la propiedad), y intentaron intimidar a Francis
Agosto de 2022: vecinos (la mayoría son propietarios) de ocho edificios del bloque le mandan al casero Yehuda una carta de demanda, otros vecinos derriban el campamento por la fuerza

Photo: Park Pl 900s Block Association

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Timeline (continued)

October 2022: Francis files suit against landlord Yehuda for harassment and urgent repairs
November 2022: rally at the property (150+ people); tent encampment and port-o-potties removed
May 2023: judge finds a judgement of no fault to the landlord despite describing the harassment as some of the worse she has ever seen in her career

Cronología (continuación)

Octubre de 2022: presenta una demanda contra el propietario por acoso y reparaciones urgentes
Noviembre de 2022: protesta en la propiedad (más de 150 personas); retirada de las carpas del campamento y de los baños portátiles
Mayo de 2023: la jueza dicta sentencia absolutoria contra el dueño a pesar de calificar el acoso como uno de los peores que ha visto en su carrera

Photo: Crown Heights C.A.R.E. Collective and the Crown Heights Tenant Union

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Harassment:

refusing to repair mold, leaks, faulty electrical wiring, and other structural issues
breaking into Francis’s apartment
grilling food in Francis’s entryway
blocking the entrance with tents and port-o-potties

Acoso:

negarse a reparar el moho, las goteras, el cableado eléctrico defectuoso y otros problemas estructurales
entrando por la fuerza en el apartamento de Francis
cocinando en la entrada del apartamento
bloquear la entrada con carpas y baños portatiles

Photo: 900s Park Pl Block Association

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Harassment (continued):

making threats and using racial slurs
playing loud music 24/7 (over 180 decibels)
destroying locks and removing doors
locking Francis into his apartment
live chickens, trash, and raw sewage on stoop
allegedly leaving a noose on a tree in Francis’s front yard

Acoso (continuación)

Amenazas verbales e insultos raciales.
poner música a todo volumen las 24 horas al día (más de 180 decibeles)
destruir cerraduras y quitar puertas
encerrar a Francis en su apartamento
gallinas vivas, basura y aguas residuales en la entrada de la casa
presuntamente dejó una soga de ahorcar en un árbol del jardín delantero de Francis

Photo: Park Pl 900s Block Association

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More / Más : New York Times; Brownstoner

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Key Lessons / Lecciones importantes

Representational Demands / Demandas representativas
Collective Leadership / Liderazgo colectivo
“Inside Agitators” / Vecinos Agitadores

Representational Demands

Not a “unionized” tenant
Francis is not alone
Clear patterns understood on block - just three doors down, another very public case of attempted displacement of longterm Black residents previous year (read here)
Sending a message - to landlords, to impacted tenants, to non-impacted tenants
Became one of the biggest stories of the year (NYT story, Brownstoner, huge rally turnout)
Francis: You must seek appropriate representation and community support as early as possible. Once CHTU was involved, there was community awareness, which in turn generated community support right down to the block-level (with the rejuvenation of block association).

Collective Leadership

we were all just figuring it out; there are no experts
everyone has skills and knowledge to contribute
we contacted several state agencies and community groups “trained” in de-escalation – none of these groups had capacity to support (“too dangerous”)
tenant himself was at center
family who wanted to be involved + had expertise on the building’s history were looped in
making sure the neighbors on the block were central to decision-making

“Inside Agitators”

priority was making sure neighbors on the block were involved in every part of the action (red to green)
divvying up the action into clear roles and responsibilities of varying expertises
“buddy system” - pairing neighbors with “activists” to engage in high-risk actions

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Cross-Coalition Communication / Comunicación entre coaliciones

Name your organizational boundaries / Nombre sus límites organizativos (I2Insights, Frontiers of Organization Science)
Community agreements / Acuerdos de la comunidad (National Equity Project)
Multiple communication channels / Múltiples canales de comunicación (Signal, WhatsApp, mailing list / lista de correo, phone tree / red telefónica)
Mass meetings and community outreach / Asambleas masivas y divulgación comunitaria
“Pod-mapping” (BATJC) (español)

Photo: Crown Heights C.A.R.E. Collective and the Crown Heights Tenant Union

Photos courtesy the Crown Heights C.A.R.E. Collective�

Name organizational boundaries

Questions the org should ask: What is needed? Who will do what? What is my organization willing to do and not willing to do? When will victory be declared?
Questions for individual boundaries: What are my abilities? What can I commit to? What can I offer? How do I know when I will need to step back?
Cost
Resources and competencies
Span of influence and existing relationships
Identity (“who we are”)
These boundaries were constantly re-stated and re-negotiated as the situation changed
Read more: https://i2insights.org/2021/10/05/crossing-organisational-boundaries/
Read more: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25145988
Read more: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-set-boundaries/

Community agreements

What are our values?
privacy
against anti-semitism and anti-blackness
record; do not engage
do not expect the police to help
respect the block
how and how much to use comms channels
how and how much to talk about situations involving other tenants
Failure: verbally reminded each other, but did not write these agreements down in one central place
Read more: https://www.nationalequityproject.org/tools/developing-community-agreements

Multiple communication channels (Signal, WhatsApp, mailing list, phone tree)

We will talk about this more when we discuss rapid response networks

Mass meetings and community outreach

Regular meetings: discuss goals, impact, community agreements, and volunteer for roles
Canvassing to invite neighbors
Flyers about the situation around the block
Prioritizing neighbors on the block

Pod-mapping

Who do you trust? Who would be the first you call? If X happened, who would you want there? If X happened, who would you want to know?
Read more: https://batjc.wordpress.com/resources/pods-and-pod-mapping-worksheet/

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Rapid Response Network(s)

Establish goals and community agreements (tenant leads)
Manage multiple communication channels
Establish roles: 1) Witness, 2) Amplify / Outreach, 3) Agitate, 4) De-Escalate / Buffer
Outreach Formula: What Is Happening + What Is Needed + How to Get Involved
Build community / know each other
Gate-keeping

Red(es) de respuesta rápida

Establecer objetivos y acuerdos comunitarios (líderes inquilinos)
Gestionar múltiples canales de comunicación
Establecer roles: 1) Testificar, 2) Amplificar / Divulgar, 3) Agitar, 4) Desescalar / Amortiguar
Fórmula de divulgación: Qué está ocurriendo + Qué se necesita + Cómo participar
Crear comunidad / conocerse
Control de ingreso y acceso

Establish goals and community agreements (tenant leads)

Main directives: court support and rapid response
Have 30 people arrive on the property within 15 minutes after Francis notifies us of a situation at the property
Communicate to the landlord: we are watching! We will come every single time!
No arrests, do not physically engage
Rules for court support - we knew what this judge liked and did not like

Manage multiple communication channels

Whatsapp, Signal, mailing list, phone tree (unused)
Use the channels that are familiar to neighbors
For safety and privacy
To make sure immediate neighbors are centered in decision-making
To de-clutter, manage flow of information
Dedicated side-channels for sensitive information
Google Form and spreadsheets to organize contact info
Failure: Crown Heights Tenant Union and Crown Heights CARE Collective had a side-channel for organizing, but did not use it much

Establish roles: 1) Witness (especially report sightings of main harasser), 2) Amplify / Outreach, 3) Agitate, 4) De-Escalate / Buffer
Outreach Formula: What Is Happening + What Is Needed + How to Get Involved
Build community / know each other
Gate-keeping

Only signed people up for rapid response in person (rally, mass meeting, court support)
Most non-neighbors were added to the mailing list (one way communication)

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Working with the Press

Talking points for speaking to the press (example here)
Writing a press release

who, what, when, where, and why
the hook
two to three paragraphs

Read more: “Talking to the Media”; “How to Stage a Rally”

Comunicación con la prensa

Puntos centrales para hablar con la prensa (ejemplo aquí en inglés)
Escribir un comunicado de prensa

quién, qué, cuándo, dónde y por qué
el gancho
dos o tres párrafos

Photo: Crown Heights C.A.R.E. Collective and the Crown Heights Tenant Union

Photo courtesy the Crown Heights C.A.R.E. Collective

Press talking points (example)

Several neighbors are journalists. Neighbors helped draft shared talking points (emerged from community agreements)

Writing a press release

Who, What, When, Where, and Why
2 - 3 paragraphs, max
Try to imagine it from a reporter’s perspective. What headline would they use in a pitch?
Send your media advisory to the Tips Department for your target media outlet (typically “tips@THATNEWSPAPER.com”).
At your rally, make sure protest signs are visible to the public and to photographers.

Did not accept all interviews with the press
Be careful: Press attention absorbs energy and pulls focus
Failure: scheduling a time for neighbors to speak out about what happened (a question of who works for who)
Success: Goon admitted on camera that they work for the landlord
Success: New York Times article
Read more: Talking to the Media
Read more: “How to Stage a Rally” (2023)

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Staging a Rally

Goals
Rally Roles

Leadership
Speakers
Safety Team
Other Roles

Safety Planning

Who can hurt?
Who can help?

De-Brief and Follow Up (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing)

Note: We wrote a booklet also! “How to Stage a Rally” by CHCC x CHTU

Organizar una manifestación

Metas
Funciones del rally

Liderazgo
Oradores
Equipo de seguridad
Otras funciones

Planificación de la seguridad

¿Quién puede hacer daño?
¿Quién puede ayudar?

Informe y seguimiento (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing)

Nota: ¡También hemos escrito un folleto! "Cómo organizar una manifestación" de CHCC x CHTU

Goals

Embarrass the landlord into dismantling the tent encampment (success!)
Raise morale
Sign neighbors up for rapid response and court support
Self-defense and empowerment

Rally Roles

Leadership

Emcee, item coordinator, media liaison, chant-leader, safety liaison

Speakers

Everyday people, community leaders, local organizations, veterans, clergy, “experts,” elected officials (public pressure + minimize safety risks)

Safety Team

Marshals, de-escalators, medic, cop-watch, cop “first responders,” legal observers, cop liaison

Other Roles

Greeter, photographer, food, crowd work, translator, etc etc
Point is to empower many folks as equal participants

Safety Planning

Who can hurt?
Who can help?
Who or what will be our alternative in an emergency?
What can go wrong?
How will you know that something is wrong?

De-Brief and Follow Up

Include everyone who had a role
Questions

How did it go? How do we feel?
What did we learn?
Are there any changes to be made?
What are we proudest of?
What are our next steps?

Read: Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

Note: We wrote a booklet also!

“How to Stage a Rally” (2023)

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