Anti-Gentrification
Equality for Flatbush, defines ‘gentrification’ as the concerted, deliberate effort to price out low-to-middle income residents from neighborhoods by city government, corporations, real estate developers, and landlords in favor of renting, selling, and catering to people of higher and/or more flexible incomes
We see gentrification as an intersectional issue that is deeply connected to the ways that race, class, gender, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, nation of origin, immigration status, physical and mental capacity, etc. impact individuals and our communities.
We also see a distinct difference between the historic voluntary migration of working and middle class families from cities to the suburbs as opposed to the current situation where existing communities are being involuntarily priced out, bought out and forcibly removed from their neighborhoods by corporate developers and landlords.
We know from first-hand experience that the same unscrupulous property owners who use tactics to force long-time older tenants of color out of their rent-stabilized apartments will turn around and illegally overcharge incoming younger white tenants for the same apartment.
For this very reason, we believe that all of us-long-time and new residents, communities of color and white communities, low-income and middle-class people – have a stake in the urgent struggle to save affordable housing in Brooklyn.
If you are a Brooklyn residential or commercial tenant, or homeowner experiencing harassment or need housing, legal or organizing resources, contact us below.
Brooklyn Anti-gentrification Network (BAN)
The Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network (BAN) is a people of color-led, mass-based coalition of tenants, homeowners, block associations, anti-police brutality groups, legal and grassroots organizations working together to end the rampant gentrification and displacement of low to middle income residents of Brooklyn, New York. BAN was initiated by Equality for Flatbush in 2015.
If you are a NYC resident who wants to be connected to city-wide anti-gentrification movement, Please join The Brooklyn Anti-gentrification Network – BAN Community List : the-brooklyn-anti-gentrification-community-organizing-list@googlegroups.com
CONTACT: info@bangentrification.org or call/text (646)820-6039
#SupportTheSandersons
While Fighting Deed Theft and Fraud, Caribbean Family of 13 are Illegally Locked out of the Home They Have Lived in for 26 years.
On the morning of October 18th, 13 members of the Sanderson family including a 3 year-old child and terminally ill elder, were illegally locked out of their 1-family home by Aydin BK Holding, Inc. and NZ Properties Group, Inc.
Video of family matriarch, Ms. Sanderson speaking about the lock out .
The Sanderson family have lived at 318 East 16th Street in Flatbush, Brooklyn for the last 26 years. In 2004, the family experienced deed theft and fraud that led to the illegal sale of their home. The Sandersons have an active supreme court case including a stay order that was filed on October 12th by their attorney to stop the illegal eviction.
Ehsanul Habib, the attorney for Aydin BK Holding, Inc. and NZ Properties Group, Inc. knew full well that the motion had been filed but he and his clients illegally had marshals come, change locks, packed up the family’s belongings into a truck and boarded up the house . Representatives of Aydin BK Holding, Inc. and NZ Properties Group, Inc. physically blocked the family so they could not retrieve their coats and other essential items forcing them to leave with only the clothes on their backs. The family was not given any info about where their possessions and cars have been taken. The Sandersons have also experienced extreme harassment including Muhammad Tutul of Aydin BK Holding calling the family “dumb N-words”.
Join us!
Sign the Petition: https://bit.ly/StopEmigrantBank
People to Call Muhammed Tutul 917-400-8461 to call out on his anti-Black racism and the illegal lock out of the Sanderson family
People to Call The Law Office of Ehsanul Habib 718-285-0466 and let him know the community is holding him accountable for this lockout
Video
Video of family matriarch, Ms. Sanderson speaking about the lock out.
#StopEmigrantBank
In 2016, a federal jury found Emigrant Bank guilty of predatory and discriminatory lending practices towards homeowners of color. Ms. Stennett must come up with 4 MILLION dollars by March 1st 2022, or Emigrant Bank will begin the process of auctioning off her property . This is yet another example of decades of predatory targeting of Black and Brown women homeowners by both the banking and real estate industries in the US. Ms. Stennett’s struggle also demonstrates how gentrification destroys the Black wealth and culture in Brooklyn.
News & Updates
Please GIVE TODAY to help Victoria Stennett to pay for her attorney and legal fees to fight Emigrant Bank!
$5, $10, $50, $100, or more... Any Amount is Welcomed, Please Give Today! Victoria Stennett, long-time advocate for Black homeownership, is back in court with predatory lender #EmigrantBank. In 2016, a federal jury found Emigrant Bank guilty of predatory and...
[VIDEO] Victoria Stennett Speaking out in front of #EmigrantBank at 2/18/2022 Rally & March
Victoria Stennett Speaking out in front of #EmigrantBank about the generational wealth that could be stolen from her family , if they foreclose on her property at 109 Amersfort Pl in #Flatbush, #Brooklyn To Sign the Petition : https://bit.ly/StopEmigrantBank To...
What’s Going On
View and download the fact sheet here
Since 2008, Victoria Stennett, Flatbush real estate broker and community leader, has been in a legal battle with Emigrant Bank to stop the foreclosure and sale of her property at 109 Amersfort Place. Due to accessibility of the house, 109 Amersfort Place has always been Ms. Stennett’s “dream home” that would allow her and aging mother to live out their retirements in comfort and peace.
Unfortunately, after a devastating fire, Emigrant Bank illegally pocketed $193K of insurance money owed to Ms. Stennett. Emigrant Bank also demanded that Ms.Stennett give them two other properties worth over a million dollars which exceed the mortgage amount of 109 Amersfort Place . Due to the years of stress fighting Emigrant Bank, Ms. Stennett was forced to have emergency heart surgery in 2015. In 2016, a federal jury found Emigrant Bank guilty of predatory and discriminatory lending practices towards homeowners of color. Ms. Stennett and her supporters have called for a national boycott of Emigrant Bank and held several rallies in front of their office in Midtown Manhattan.
Victoria Stennett has been a community leader in the Flatbush’s Caribbean community for over 25 years. Committed to social justice , Ms. Stennett is one of the few real estate brokers in Flatbush who advocates and secures apartments for tenants with Section 8 and NYC housing vouchers. She also hosts multiple annual events that feed, provide toys, coats and clothing, as well as medical and emotional health and wellness services to Flatbush residents.
Join us!
Sign the Petition: https://bit.ly/StopEmigrantBank
Endorse the Campaign: https://bit.ly/STOPEmigrantBankEndorsers
Emergency Rally and March on Jan. 29: https://bit.ly/STOPEmigrantBankEndorsers
Share and post widely:
Video
Victoria Stennett speaks about the violent mistreatment by banks and developers in community of color
Another story of a Black NYC homeowner targeted by Emigrant Bank.
1214 Dean Street
Local business owners Loretta Gendville and Gennaro Brooks-Church were illegally and unlawfully forcing eviction on largely Black/POC and LGBTQ residents of a Crown Heights building at 1214 Dean Street. DURING A PANDEMIC.
2022 Victory!
Former tenants of 1214 Dean Street win monetary civil suit with the help of TakeRoot Justice, Equality for Flatbush and Brooklyn Movement Center.
What’s Going On
1.They are illegally renting out rooms in a multi-family dwelling.
2. They have not provided required formal eviction paperwork from Brooklyn Housing Court to any tenant.
3. Loretta has illegally taken tenant’s property out of their homes against their will.
4. They have turned off WIFI until tenants giver their move out date during a time when work has to happen from home.
#BoycottPlanted (plantedcommunitycafe.com)
#BoycottAreaKids (Fort Greene/Carroll Gardens)
#BoycottAreaYogaSpa (Carroll Gardens/Park Slope/Downtown BK)
#boycottEcoBrooklyn
#ArrestLorettaGendville
#ArrestGennaroBrooksChurch
Join us!
Boycott their businesses and CALL, EMAIL, or TWEET to let them know that we will not tolerate treating community members like this!
Loretta Gendville:
718.506.6449
LGendville@gmail.com or
LGendville@yahoo.com
Twitter @lgendville
Linkedin.com/Loretta-gendville
Gennaro Brooks-Church:
347.244.3016
GennaroBC@gmail.com
Twitter @EcoBrooklyn
Linkedin.com/gennarobrookschurch
Instagram @brooks.church
Facebook GennaroBrooksChurch
VIEW/SHARE FLYER BELOW
Video Footage
Gennaro Brooks-Church being forced out after attempting to stage an illegal eviction
Maxx Properties
Maxx Properties is a notorious national real estate company owned and operated by the Wiener Family. For decades shareholders and rent-stabilized tenants living in four co-op buildings in Flatbush, Brooklyn, have endured living in dangerous and hazardous conditions due to the extreme amount of mold build-up in their homes. Residents have consistently complained about the significant water leaks that has caused the mold but Maxx Properties refuses to adequately fix the leaks or remove the mold.
These residents have also complained about the lack of heat, the lack of repairs, the lack of roach extermination, broken or outdated windows, broken or outdated kitchen cabinets, the lack cleanliness of common areas, rent overcharges as well as accusations of both racial and sexual harassment by Maxx Properties employees. Equality for Flatbush is currently working with the newly founded residents association of 3400 Snyder, 3500 Snyder, 282 E 35th & 285 E 35th Street to hold Maxx Properties accountable.
News & Updates
Fire at #MaxxProperties Building
It is with a heavy heart that we report on the devastating fire at #3400Snyder , a building in the Flatbush Residents against #MaxxProperties struggle . This is the community memorial set up for the 13-year-old young person who perished in the fire. Many families have...
Sign the Petition : Support the DEMANDS of Flatbush Residents Against Maxx Properties
Please Sign & Support the DEMANDS of Flatbush Residents Against Maxx Properties Residents of 282 E. 35th St., 285 E. 35th St., 3400 Snyder Ave., 3500 Snyder Ave. https://chng.it/LhHJk7yKcp #StopMaxxProperties #WienerFamilyGreed...
What’s Going On
View and download the Media Advisory here
For some time, Equality for Flatbush has received numerous complaints by both shareholders and rent-stabilized tenants living in co-op buildings at 3400 Snyder, 3500 Snyder, 282 E 35th St, & 285 E 35th St located in Flatbush, Brooklyn. All four buildings are managed by Maxx Properties which is owned by the Wiener Family.
These complaints include rent overcharges, the lack of repairs, the lack of mold removal, damages due to leaks , as well as accusations of both racial and sexual harassment by Maxx Properties employees. Here is a recent video from Ms. Francis, a Black rent-stabilized tenant, living at 3400 Snyder Ave, documenting the lack of repairs and mold removal in her apartment . She also reports, that she has endured years of racially-based harassment by Maxx Properties as well as being sexually harassed by an Maxx Properties employee. Ms. Francis is asking for assistance from the general public to please call Maxx Properties at 914-899-8000 to demand they thoroughly remove the mold which is impacting her health.
Video
Please Stop Maxx Properties from harassing Flatbush tenant Ms. Francis
BEFORE IT’S GONE
Before it ‘s Gone/ Take It Back (B4G) is E4F’s Brooklyn-wide anti-gentrification / anti-displacement campaign
A VICTORY FOR THE COMMUNITY!
Brooklyn Abolitionist Home Gains Historic Landmark Status After Decades-Long Battle, Groundswell of Community Endorsements
After years of struggle led by Brooklyn grassroots organizers and activists, on Tuesday Mayor Bill di Blasio will announce that the Landmarks and Preservation Commission of New York City plans to confer historic landmark status on the “Truesdell House” at 227 Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
The house at 227 Duffield St – which has been renamed 227 Abolitionist Place – was home to Harriet and Thomas Lee Truesdell in the 1850s. The Truesdells were radical anti-slavery activists and hosted other prominent abolitionists in their home. Historians believe that the building is a hotbed of potential research about the Underground Railroad, as many families on and around Abolitionist Place were active in helping to liberate enslaved people.
Friends of Abolitionist Place hopes to turn the building into the Heritage Center at 227 Abolitionist Place, which would teach visitors about the complex history of abolitionist movements in Brooklyn through interactive learning experiences and artist residencies.
Read more on the press release here.
View/download statement on New Park Development on Abolitionist Place (Jan 31, 2022)
Real Estate Watch (REW)
Real Estate Watch (REW) works to hold predatory landlords and developers accountable by providing empirical information and tools to empower Brooklyn residents and small businesses. Real Estate Watch (REW) is the investigative research project of Equality for Flatbush.
CURRENT REW CAMPAIGNS
Lefferts Capital LLC
Equality for Flatbush releases Lefferts Capital LLC Real Estate Watch Fact Sheet
Predator Developer #OzoneDevelopment, LLC
Equality for Flatbush’s Real Estate Watch creates Map of Properties Bought up by Predator Developer #OzoneDevelopment, LLC https://beforeitsgone.co/stories/Gvdr74
MAXX Properties
Predatory developer Rafael (Rafi) Manor
Since 2017, Equality for Flatbush has been fighting with several Black homeowners who have sustained thousands of dollars of damages because of predatory developers who “house flip”. These predatory develops purchase property next to a long-time Black homeowner, damage the homeowner’s property which leads to lengthy and costly court battles. Several homeowners have reported that they believe the developer had purposely damaged their property in order to get them to sell their homes. Real Estate Watch, Equality for Flatbush’s investigative research team, has released a fact sheet on Rafael Manor who has been identified as one of these predatory developers. Enjoy.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZQQbgN81pjeXGui8fpFH9uzpEqOSs6pF5jD-PYip97g/edit?usp=sharing
Predatory Lender Selene Finance
Selene Finance has been identified to us by homeowners in our community as a key target due to their predatory practices. Real Estate Watch, Equality for Flatbush’s investigative research team, has released a fact sheet to document the key players profiting off Selene Fianance and their fraudulent practices.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15a2R0s4UCwIM3MBhx4kHlsBEftE7ACCx0FpxToqLPRw/edit?usp=sharing
Jonas Equities / Jeremy Properties
Jonas Equities / Jeremy Properties has been identified to us by residents in our community as a key target due to their predatory practices. Real Estate Watch, Equality for Flatbush’s investigative research team, has released a fact sheet to document their fraudulent practices.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S8aMjuv7B9EmrOM1FTXPrkSgycLZ0zrezxVi2t_jlQM/edit?usp=sharing
#ThisIsFlatbush
A campaign against the corporate re-branding of Flatbush, East Flatbush and Crown Heights
VIDEO Documentary short taking aim at the corporate rebranding of Flatbush through a compilation of interviews with longtime residents, new residents, activists and a professor of urban planning.
In This is Flatbush, the people of the central Brooklyn neighborhood of talk about parts of the neighborhood they’ve long known as Flatbush and the very recent appearance of “Prospect Lefferts Gardens” and “Ditmas Park” on maps. Residents also discuss their fears of losing their homes due to skyrocketing rents as well as how gentrification threatens to destroy the very identity of this largely low-to-middle income migrant community of color.
GET HELP
If you are a BROOKLYN residential or commercial TENANT or HOMEOWNER experiencing harassment or need housing, legal or organizing resources please contact us at:
In English: B4G@equalityforflatbush.org or (646)820-6039
En Español: EnEspanol@equalityforflatbush.org or (732)641-3923
En Kréyol: EnKreyol@equalityforflatbush.org or (929)244-0885
#NOEVICTIONZONE #MYNYCLANDLORD #BeforeItsGone
2273 Church Avenue
POB# 260505
Brooklyn, NY 11226
B4G@equalityforflatbush.org