Tenants vote for rent strike at Independence Towers, Quality Hills if demands aren’t met

Two Kansas City area tenant unions voted to authorize rent strikes beginning in October after attempts to negotiate with building owners amid poor living conditions have failed to produce results, KC Tenants announced Friday morning.

Union members of Independence Towers and Quality Hill Towers said they’re prepared to withhold their rent payments starting Oct. 1, if their landlords do not come to the bargaining table, KC Tenants said in a news release. Among other demands, the unions are pushing for national rent caps, new ownership and collectively bargained leases.

The strikes would be the first of their kind in KC Tenants history, the organization said in an email. The organization said it would also be the first-ever strike to target the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac regulator.

Altogether, the unions are prepared to withhold over $60,000 from their landlords in October, the organization said.

Poor living conditions

The impending rent strike comes as residents say they are fed up with poor living conditions and improper management that has led to hazards in their homes.

Tenants at Quality Hill Towers previously told The Star that they’ve endured burst pipes, unresolved sewage backup and pest infestations at the Kansas City apartment located at 817 Jefferson Street. Their complaints were met by ignored maintenance requests, eviction threats, retaliation and rent hikes, the tenants claim.

After almost two years of organizing, around 60 residents and activists stood outside Quality Hill Towers earlier this month to announce the formation of its tenant union. The union now has 148 members, accounting for about 63% of the building’s tenants.

At Independence Towers , residents say they have dealt with pest infestations and chronic plumbing problems causing water damage and mold. Residents said they have also gone without heating and air conditioning for extended periods of time. Walls and ceilings are marred by gaping holes, exposing rusted pipes and other hazards.

The problems, including faulty window latches that are in part to blame for a toddler falling to his death , have been well documented. Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, the U.S. Congressional representative for Missouri’s fifth district, toured the building, expressing his dismay over the dire living conditions.

“Some of it is worse than your words, I don’t know how I’m going to describe it to people, “ Cleaver said.

Independence city officials have said they’re well aware of the living conditions residents have endured at the high-rise complex on Jennings Road.

Still, Independence Towers passed its latest city inspection in 2023 , even as activists have been demanding action for the safety of residents and questions have been raised about the city’s inspection process through its Rental Ready program, meant to safeguard tenants. Lawyers previously told The Star the city could be doing more to hold building owners accountable, while city leaders claimed their hands are tied because no tenants have filed formal complaints with the city.

Tenant advocates and attorneys say the process to file complaints in inaccessible to many tenants, and puts them at risk of eviction.

“No tenant will ever complain with homelessness as the price,” said Giana Chiala, attorney with the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom.

The Independence Towers union launched publicly on May 2 after residents had gone without hot water for two weeks. Currently, the union has 40 members, equaling 65% of its occupied units.

KC unions part of national effort

Tenant unions at Independence Towers and Quality Hill Towers are both part of an organized national effort targeting properties with federally-backed loans. Both buildings sent representatives to a meeting on May 28 with the FHFA Director and top executives from Fannie Mae, sharing their stories.

The unions claim both properties have failed to make urgent and necessary repairs and have misused funds meant for upkeep of the buildings. Both buildings received Fannie Mae-backed loans.

In a news release, KC Tenants said, “The director made no satisfactory commitments in that meeting.”

In preparation to approve the rent strike, the unions held a strike drive organizing hundreds of tenants onto commitment cards.

Thursday night, both unions held their weekly meetings. Union members cast silent ballots and elected bargaining teams reached a consensus to authorize the strike.

The building landlords have until close of business Monday to come to the negotiation table and meet the union’s demands, KC Tenants said in a news release. If they do not, the tenants are prepared to strike Tuesday.

If the strike launches Oct. 1, both unions will hold rallies at their respective buildings that morning.

The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee contributed.