We don't talk about Landlords

My name is Julia. I am fundraising to obtain resources that will support the work that I have been doing for free.

When I first began my work as a Court Advocate with United Tenants of Albany in 2019, I went to court five days a week searching for technicalities in the petitions submitted by landlords. I had one goal in mind: to secure a win against the bad landlord.

But it didn't take long for me to learn that not all landlords were bad actors and that the adversarial means of resolving conflict was not designed for ongoing relationships; short term, or long term as landlord/tenant relationships are.

What I learned was that many landlords are themselves struggling to make ends meet. The tenants don't talk about how the landlords are saddled with property taxes; water; sewer and garbage bills not to mention mortgages; mandatory housing repairs and school taxes. Because the tenants don't know.

Now that the rent moratoriums have ended, tenants no longer have housing protections and are faced with homelessness, an unfathomable crisis.

The landlords don't talk about the tenant's job loss, medical emergency, unexpected illnesss or death in their family, the landlord just thinks the tenant is just trying to get over on them. Because the landlords don't know. When the reality is the tenant may be too ashamed to admit they are struggling financially and so they don't talk about it.

These days, I don't want to find a loophole in the law or a technicality in the petition that will keep the tenant in their apartment if it creates a hostile living environment for all parties involved. Instead, I want to facilitate a positive relationship between the parties based on mutual respect. One that begins with open unobstructed communication.

Fostering these relationships is important to me because we share this community together. If I can be a catalyst for positive change I welcome it.

This is important to me because I know that positive communication works! I know that the shelters are already full. As a homeowner, I know that a portion of the taxes that I pay go to essential services. As homelessness increases, so will my taxes. We all either communicate and work together now or it will be to all of our detriment very shortly and I cannot afford it.

This is important to me because I cannot afford to give a dollar to the guy on Everett Road with a sign on his t-shirt. I need that dollar. I cannot afford to put change in the cup of the man by the Hudson waterfront, I could use a cup of coffee. I cannot afford to buy electric heaters for tenants with no heat in their apartments, but I can show up at court and do my best to facilitate communication among the parties so that all of the above mentioned citizens, Albanians, have safe warm house to go to. If you cannot do it please help me to do it.

Catholic Charities funded my former position for over forty years. When the funding ended in December, I became unemployed, yet every day I still work to help tenants who are facing eviction and landlords who depend on rental income.

If I am fortunate enough to receive your 100% tax-deductible donation for my non for profit organization: The Alternative to Economic and Housing Displacement, Inc. I will use those funds to the best of my ability to resolve tenant's housing issues; foster positive communication between landlords/tenants; create a greater presence in more Capitol District courts; in short, be the change I want to see in the world.

Thank you

Julia.