Flatbush tenant protests after family is locked in

Following is an action alert from the tenants of 625 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y., calling for support against racism and illegal evictions. On April 18, according to one tenant, her door was padlocked by the superintendent— while she was inside the apartment.

For over two years, there has been an ongoing struggle by tenants of 625 Ocean Ave.—a rent-stabilized building in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn—against their landlord, Harry D. Silverstein. The building currently has more than 411 housing violations, 64 of which are rated class C, the most severe type of infraction. Some of the violations of this building were featured in a news segment on UPN 9 in the summer of 2005.

The makeup of the residents of 625 Ocean Ave. is overwhelmingly working class people of color, many who receive some form of government entitlement. Along with the demand for repairs, tenants are petitioning for the firing and replacement of building superintendent Ronald Dushame, a white male, charging him with racially motivated harassment.

Forms of harassments have included the calling of the police on tenant association meetings, acts of sabotage to private property, disclosure of tenants’ HIV status, threats of physical violence and/or evictions. These forms of intimidation have mainly been directed against tenants who are immigrants, women of color and their children, and people receiving government entitlements.

In the middle of the night of April 17-18, one of the most vocal tenants, who is facing an illegal eviction, awoke to find herself and her children padlocked in and forcibly imprisoned within her apartment. Police from the 70th Precinct were called and the lock removed. However, because there were no witnesses to the placing of the padlock, neither the landlord nor super will be charged with forced imprisonment.

Harry D. Silverstein owns several dwel lings. Exploiting people on public assistance, people living with AIDS and immigrant communities are forms of abuse happening to tenants not only in the Flatbush area but in many working class communities across the city.

We call on community members, progressive groups and organizations to stand with the tenants of 625 Ocean Ave. in their call for the immediate replacement of building superintendent Ron Dushame. Send a clear message to landlord Harry D. Silverstein that forced imprisonment of tenants is an outrage!

Petition for the removal of Ron Dushame

(Written, circulated and sent to the landlord by the tenant who was imprisoned
in her apartment. Twenty-three signatures were collected on this petition.)

Dated: October 26, 2005

“We, the tenants of 625 Ocean Ave. submit this petition demanding better living conditions for our families, [and] that the Superintendent, Ron Dushame, be replaced. ...

“We the tenants of 625 Ocean Ave. allege that on more than one occasion he has violated our constitutional rights. He invades our rights by maliciously spreading gossip, spreading personal and confidential information regarding tenants’ housing, legal and financial issues. In addition he has ... admitted to having several tenants’ mailbox keys and has been accused of interfering with the delivery of the United States mail by retaining tenants’ mail....

“The superintendent has slandered tenants, used abusive language to children and used racial slurs to several tenants, calling them out of their name.... He has wrongfully accused tenants ... of being drug addicts....

“The maintenance issues speak for themselves; vestibules with improper or no lighting for several days, broken elevators, poor cleaning and maintenance issues inside and outside apartments go unresolved. For the past six months there has been a large garbage can sitting in the middle of the hallway, collecting water from the ceiling, instead of the necessary repairs. ... Even after UPN 9 News came here there have been no improvements. In short we need a new superintendent.”

For more information, call Brooklyn Tenants for Safe Housing at (646) 709-8057 or email [email protected]