This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Landlord Giving You Hell? CAP 'Em!

Neighbors work together to fight against unjust landlords and employers.

This past Saturday, Bed-Stuy resident Mark Ingram walked up to the home of his landlord on Kosciusko Street and handed him a letter.

“What is this?” said Donald Cox, his landlord.

“We’re here to have Mark’s back,” responded Dave Goodman, before Ingram could respond.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Goodman is a member of the Cooperative Action Project (CAP), a tenant advocacy group.

Ingram's letter listed a number of housing code violations in his apartment and stated that he would be withholding his rent for the month of February until all of the repairs were made.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Baffled, Cox stammered, “What am I supposed to say to this?”

“Say, ‘Mark I will make all the repairs to your apartment that are listed here,'” challenged Goodman.

Had Ingram confronted his landlord alone, he might have had the letter thrown back at him. But Ingram was accompanied by Goodman... and 15 other CAP members waiting outside for Cox's answer.

In the end, the landlord capitulated and agreed to Ingram’s terms, including window repairs, replastering walls, fixing bathroom tiles and a host of other issues that violate housing codes.

“He doesn’t listen to my complaints," said Ingram. "And whatever work he’s done is crap!”

Ingram enlisted the help of Dave Goodman and members of the Cooperative Action Project just a few weeks ago, after he came across the group's flyer on a fence. The flyer stated one thing that stuck out for him: "Landlord or boss giving you hell in NYC? CAP 'em!"

The group is brand new. And they refer to themselves as anarchists who will fight for you against “slumlords” and create action to improve your living conditions. It all sounded good to Ingram.

“We are not a charity; our main goal is to create action, we help people find each other and act together,” said CAP member Kathryn Bryzynski of Jackson Heights.

CAP members are not lawyers, nor are they affiliated with a city agency. They simply are a group of residents who have agreed to come together and support one another against unfair bosses or landlords.

How does CAP work?

As explained on the group's website, if you are having multiple repair issues with your landlord or are facing an unjust eviction, or a boss who is withholding wages, contact them.

The group will then set up a sit-down meeting with the complainant to get the full story and then develop a plan of action for your specific case.

The action plan is then executed through a campaign that can include either picketing outside of a person’s workplace or simply showing up at a landlord’s house, like in Ingram’s case.

Then, the person who is helped out by CAP must commit to participate in at least three other events to help someone else.

The creators of CAP were inspired by a similar group created across the country called the Seattle Solidarity Network. While this was CAP’s first action, the Seattle Solidarity Network has seen positive results from its campaigns as well.

“We’re people fighting for people, we show that it’s not an individual effort,” says Danielle White of Bedford Stuyvesant, who is also a CAP member.

“Legal programs and non-profits can only work within certain parameters" said Bed-Stuy resident and CAP member Cindy Smantha. "We want to build a broad base of people to start a movement.”

The Cooperative Action Project is not Bedford-Stuyvesant specific; anyone can go start a group in their neighborhood. The CAP website has downloadable flyers for anyone to post in their neighborhood.

“A group is more powerful when you have people like you --tenants and employees --  supporting," said Samantha. "When you challenge a boss or landlord [as a group], you see where the real power lies."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?