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  1. #1
    Senior Member crazybird's Avatar
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    Abused Latino tenants find a voice

    Abused Latino tenants find a voice

    January 22, 2007
    BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter
    When Elena Giron moved herself and her two kids into a West Rogers Park apartment last year, it was on her new landlord's promise that he'd install a working oven in her kitchen, fix the leaking shower, and give the place a fresh coat of paint.
    That didn't happen. Instead, as the weeks turned into months, Giron, a 36-old native of Mexico, and her two kids, Katherine, 8, and Cristian, 2, tried to get used to living in a one-bedroom apartment that had no working smoke detectors, shoddy plastic-sealed windows, and was crawling with cockroaches.

    "So many times I told him he had to fix the bathroom, send out an exterminator," said Giron. "At first, he said he would. Then he started saying he would jack my rent up to $800 if he fixed it."

    Many Hispanics like Giron, who often aren't fluent in English and don't know their rights as tenants, fall victim to abuse from property owners who collect rent on nearly uninhabitable apartments, according to Ismael Enriquez, community organizer with the Metropolitan Tenants Organization.

    The MTO is partnering with Centro Sin Fronteras, a Chicago-based Hispanic community advocacy group, to educate Latinos on their rights as renters through community events, word of mouth and educational workshops.

    Enriquez said MTO has already had success conducting Spanish-language workshops in predominantly Hispanic communities and has seen calls from Hispanics to its hotline -- (773) 292-4988 -- double since 2005.

    Giron finally moved out last month and found a clean studio apartment blocks away, but she vows to stay involved with MTO.

    "I think there are a lot of people who see you are Hispanic, they think you're ignorant and scared and won't speak up," she said, "but nobody has to live like that."

    ecepeda@suntimes.<a href="comhttp://...ntimes.com</a>/news/metro/2 ... 22.article



    This ticks me off. It's as if American people purposly set cockroaches free and don't do repairs just because they are Latino. Sorry......poor Americans have lived with this for decades. This isn't a "crime against Latinos". I can't count how much money etc. I've personally put into rental units to make them "liveable". There's roach traps and roach spray in the stores for a reason......they live here too. Welcome to the rhelm of "slum lords". I rented an apartment in up-state New York. There was human feces smeared on the walls and it was a pig sty. A friend and I rented it. We cleaned and painted and carpeted it. It looked NICE. The landlord then decided to evict us because my roommate was gay. Charged tripple the rent after we did all the work. We tried to fight it and were told, too bad. So this isn't new and it isn't a crime against Latinos. Welcome to Americas poor.
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    Senior Member AmericanElizabeth's Avatar
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    Crazybird, this is how our landlord here is, but he knows with us here he cannot get away with it.

    After we wound up being the last American tenants here, he started verbally abusing our son, then 12, and telling the other boys here to not be friends with him, or they and their families wold get kicked out.

    There were two reaons we could think of why he would do that. One he did not want them to get to know our son and us so we would inform them of their rights to live in safe habitable conditions, as well he wanted them all to have a fear or hatred of Americans so they would never have conversations with them, thus realizing they were being taken advantage of.

    Now, my take on this is; they put themselves into this position by being here illegally, although I can never agree with a predator landlord and he should be put out of business. I do think that had they come here legally, they would not be prey to such a scumball.

    I do not feel "sorry" for people who have come here illegally and put themselves into this position, it is just another point in their perpetual vicitm lives. They make lousy choice that could have been avoided and then when the consequences to that choice are not good, they cry "why me".
    "In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, Brave, Hated, and Scorned. When his cause succeeds however,the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a Patriot." Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

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    Senior Member Beckyal's Avatar
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    Poor living conditions for illegals

    I served in the military for years and often had to fight bugs in the house. In some of the military housing we had to suffer with holes in the roof. Some of the military housing was so bad that when bases were closed, cities would not even put their homeless in them. Why should we worry about people who are not Americans and are here illegally when our military must live in poor housing. PS we have poor Americans who live in poor conditions but I don't see our politicans doing anything for them.

  4. #4
    Senior Member crazybird's Avatar
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    this is how our landlord here is, but he knows with us here he cannot get away with it.
    I guess it depends on the state. And of course the standards of the landlord. I just know in alot of places....if it's cheap....it's a dump. I have never lived anywhere where the place I rented was "move in" ready. Never had a fresh coat of paint. If I didn't buy the paint and do it myself it wouldn't have gotten done. I was angry and tried to do something when I was in New York and found out there wasn't much of any protection for the renter. They told us it was because of the slum lords in New York city. Slum lords target poor people period. Not because they're hispanic or don't speak English. The best thing they could offer in New York is they started a list of the slum lords and suggested you come in and check the list before you rent again. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't have "minimul" standards here as well.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member AmericanElizabeth's Avatar
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    Oregon has some pretty good laws on what they refer to as "habitable and safe living conditions". The places have to be vermin free and maintained so, no rodents, any mold must be dealt with (and believe me, western Oregon can have it's issues with mold!). As well all appliances must be working and safe, flooring must be safe, no holes, and if a ceiling or roof has leaks, it as well mst be dealt with.

    I have enforced all with this landlord, he probably regrets renting to us and wishes he had been able to frustrate us into moving out long ago (as I know this is what he was trying to do as he prefers to rent to the illegals).

    Now, there has been a main sewer line overflow, I think it was form the illegals dumping their cooked in lard down the drain, thus causing a backup. the city is now investigating it, and also cleaning up the mess it left, just one yard over where the manhole is!!

    ~Sigh~ I need a place out on the country, this suburb living among illegals is draining me of my energy.

    crazybird, some states or cities do not have as good of laws to protect the tenants though, this is true. Here, the landlord has to repaint if you have lived there over two years. However, even with all this here, it is still a "renters beware" issue. Ours is a moderately ok place, the apartments in this complex (ours is a duplex) are just falling down and full of roaches and at one time rats. Back here, we are sort of not part of the whole issue within the complex, so here we stay till we can get our own place.
    "In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, Brave, Hated, and Scorned. When his cause succeeds however,the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a Patriot." Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

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