KC Tenants prepares for 1st-ever rent strikes; 2 area unions authorize strike

KC Tenants announced Friday morning it's preparing for its first-ever rent strikes with the Independence Towers Tenant Union and the Quality Hill Towers Tenant Union.

Collectively, the unions authorized their members to withhold over $60,000 from their landlords in October, according to KC Tenants.

The unions are demanding national rent caps, new ownership and collectively bargained leases, according to KC Tenants. The strike is contingent on whether the unions' landlords meet their demands by the end of the business day on Monday. If their demands are not met, members are set to strike on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Independence Towers is located in Independence, Missouri, and has appeared in many headlines this year. This summer, tenants told KSHB 41 News about a lack of air conditioning , an intentionally set fire that impacted 27 units , and their frustrations with poor maintenance and safety measures .

Jason Gould/KSHB

On July 29, a 3-year-old boy died after falling from an eighth-story window at the apartment building. Two parents were charged in the death , but they allege the window did not properly lock. One of the parents allege they had submitted multiple requests to the apartment to fix the window, according to court documents.

KSHB 41 News spoke with tenants at Quality Hill Towers — located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri — in September 2023 about a list of complaints. Their complaints alleged the building had flooding, roaches, bed bugs and mouse infestations.

On Thursday, both tenants unions finalized the authorization of the strike through their elected bargaining teams, according to KC Tenants. Their decision comes after weeks of gathering support from hundreds of tenants, lengthy deliberations and silent ballots, according to KC Tenants.

"These rent strikes are the first in KC Tenants history, the first coordinated strikes in decades, and the first-ever strikes to target the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac regulator," according to a press release from KC Tenants.

KC Tenants says Quality Hill Towers is owned by Sentinel Real Estate Corporation. According to the union, the corporation received a $9 million dollar loan backed by Fannie Mae to finance the purchase of the property. The union says it has experienced eviction threats, retaliation and rent hikes.

After two years of organizing, Quality Hill Towers Tenants Union officially established the biggest building union in the region with 148 members on Sept. 5, according to KC Tenants. The union includes 63% of the 234 occupied units at the apartment building, according to the press release.

Parker Webb received a $5.5 million loan backed by Fannie Mae and purchased the Independence Towers apartment building in 2021, according to KC Tenants. Fannie Mae sued Parker Webb in February following a lack of maintenance at the property. A judge appointed Trigild Inc. as the receiver of the property in May, per KC Tenants.

Since receiving the property, tenants allege Trigild has not completed "necessary repairs," according to KC Tenants.

The Independence Towers Tenants Union — which now has 40 members — was officially established on May 2 after tenants say they were without hot water for two weeks, per the press release. Their union makes up 65% of the 63 occupied units at the building.

KC Tenants say their tenant unions are "part of a coordinated national effort, targeting properties with federally-backed loans," per its press release. While unions in at least six other states are working toward similar tactics, the Quality Hill Towers Tenants Union and the Independence Towers Tenants Union are the first to authorize the strikes, per KC Tenants.

If the strikes launch, rallies will be held on Monday at 9 a.m. at Quality Hill Towers and at 10 a.m. at Independence Towers.

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