News
Boston Women’s Fund donates $15,000 to Tenants in Victory
by Bessie King
MySouthEnd.com Contributor
Wednesday Feb 18, 2009
In celebration of the $15,000 grant Tenants in Victory received from The Boston Women’s Fund, Villa Victoria residents gathered on Friday, Feb. 13 at 100 West Dedham Street. The small party was held to thank the Fund, its director, Josefina Vasquez, and the people who helped tenants apply for the grant, as well as to celebrate Tenants in Victory’s success in obtaining 12 of 14 resident demands requested to management since the organization’s inception.
"Since 2001 Villa Victoria’s tenants have had problems with management and we started our group because we were trying to fight the disrespect, harassment and bad services we experienced," said Carmen Nazario-Vega, who spearheads the resident group. "One of the biggest issues we battled against was dealing with management and our living situation during the phase one renovations for ’viviendas,’ which had construction done in a house while a person or family was still in that house."
The remodeling, done by Property Management Agency, took place between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for two to five weeks depending on the condition of each unit. Without prior discussion residents were told they could not be in their homes during these hours and if they had nowhere to go a small community room was open for use. Work was done in sections but resident rights were equally affected since medical, dietary, or privacy needs were overlooked, according to Nazario-Vega.
"They lacked comfort, rest, proper diet, medical attention, and respect. As a result of the residents’ exposure to the particles of the materials used that lingered in the air outside and inside the units many that had COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) required hospitalization and those that were fine developed respiratory problems," added Nazario-Vega.
The construction ended with resident complains unacknowledged, said Nazario-Vega, but a second construction phase was scheduled. Tenants organized to confront management so that future projects came with proper lodging and timely notice. Amongst other demands, the list of 14 points brought to management included the right to request relocation during renovations, obtain a schedule and assistance for moving during the renovations, and a request that all aspects of renovations be formalized in writing and legally signed by all parties, according to Nazario-Vega.
The management company that helped negotiate these points has recently changed, however. Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion and Emergency Tenants Council Inc. (ETC) were involved in the entire process but now the organizations have changed leadership and the new representative from ETC has not been exposed to the issue. Efforts to obtain a response from Maloney Properties, which owns and manages the leased properties, were unsuccessful.
Tenants will now be relocated to an empty unit during remodeling. This will also happen by sections throughout the development.
"For me this is very important because I am Puerto Rican and I lived in the area," said Vasquez, of The Boston Women’s Fund. "I was a tenant here too...and social justice has always been a focus at Villa Victoria. As part of the Boston Women’s Fund, being involved with this community has been an honor."
The majority of tenants are independent mothers, elderly, and low-income residents who have often united in legal or social matters. Nazario-Vega said that after having resident demands accepted, residents wanted to think of other ways to help their female and young population. For this reason they decided to apply under the community group HACER - Housing Advocates, Cooperate, Advocate, and Resolve - for a grant to fund educational and developmental programs.
"This is a two-fold celebration because we are acknowledging the fact that we fought for our rights alone and with our own pocket money, but now we want to look forward and help the young mothers and girls in our community by educating them and creating scholarships so they can go to college," said Nazario-Vega.
With the grant money obtained, Tenants in Victory will offer projects like Mambuelas play dates, a program of organized play dates focusing in skill building, communication, and creative activities for stay-at-home moms and grandmothers caring for preschool children.
Painting, dance, and writing workshops will also be organized for young girls. In May, the works created will be auctioned at a larger event and the funds raised will go in the group’s scholarship fund. Computer skills and professional development workshops are also in the works.
"We are interested in funding self-determination, we’re interested in women’s leadership and social economic justice, and we support organizing for change so that women are treated well," said Mary Quinn, director of communications for The Boston Women’s Fund. "This all comes from a community and from women themselves."
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