cut a Cook County judge rules this week that residents of a South Shore apartment building raided by federal agents in September must vacate their apartments by Friday, Judge Deborah and Seton denied a 60 day extension request saying it would quote, be inhumane for this court not to relocate people as quickly as possible, citing potential natural gas and plumbing issues.

Tenants of the building are acknowledging the terrible living conditions.

But many say they have nowhere else to go.

Joining us is Dixon, Romeo executive director for Southside Together, community organization serving South side neighborhoods.

Thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

day before Thanksgiving, residents of 7500 south Shore found out that they would have to leave their units by December 12th.

And to be clear, that's in a couple of from now, the learn this via a paper notice to vacate what was that like for tenants who the lobby?

>> was it like for them to find out realizing that they're going to have to move out based on a new taped up in the So the Southside together and the Metropolitans organization working worked with tennis to organize a 10:00AM.

But he's ever region also say, hey.

>> Here are the conditions of the building.

Polls, ice Ray, we're familiar with some of those conditions.

Pretty ice-free and what tenants have been demanding the entire time right is the reason is attending because the building is in deplorable condition of Iowa, Tennessee Sunday, China winning get was more time in the building to get relocated cause everyone acknowledges that the building is not in good condition, OK?

So they weren't necessarily asking, please fix this building up there saying.

>> Help us get out.

Yeah.

I mean, at this point, the this property has been in disarray for a long time, right?

The eyes or 8 obviously made it worse.

But the reality of it is that now attention shifted off to its rating.

Word about the black folks left in the building, right?

What is the city?

Chicago?

A state of Illinois.

What all the partners doing to help write people who are outraged at what happened.

What we do for the residents that are left as well as the votes were taken by what's been a condition of the building since the ice read, because this is when everybody really found out about all the problems that residents already knew about the the existing conditions bad before been exacerbated The doors off the hinges, the lack of light gas, all the things that the judge a we nor the case, the issue the tenants of name is that the receiver has not trying try to relocate anyone.

I off relocation assistance, which is the same thing as relocating like as you said, it's really hard to get at least on December 12 or 13 And so that's what we in the filed a motion to get the extension done for mostly it was successful.

But because it ends organizing, came together, not only has the support of each other as a tenant union, but also a lot of folks in the community are coming together, offering financial material support, right, helping folks about.

>> Even before the raid living conditions at the building.

They had been subpar, like you said, according to the tribe, the building had not passed a conservation complaint building inspections since 2000.

How long have tenants been living under these conditions?

sometimes in the building been living there 20 years, right?

We've been organizing is out a live in South shore.

>> And one of reasons why we organize to get the CDA board is Jackson are housing pilot ordinance passed in September this year.

because of the conditions in the neighborhood, right like South Shores, the eviction capital, Cook County of the city it is a 75% tenant neighborhood right is overwhelmingly black neighborhood.

And what happens is you often have landlords who rent out of state, sometimes of the country who don't care about the conditions of the neighborhood, try and seek to profit off of the neglect of the building.

Right.

Like I will keep raising the rent regardless of what it looks like.

interesting thing about the 7500 buildings that there are a number of people, building, where does able very few buildings in our neighborhood have meeting rooms, right?

Things like that.

But more importantly, elevators right into one of the reasons we have folks who live in the building who are disabled because elevator ride elevators been broken, just recently got fixed to allow tenants to move out.

But that's why people stay in a building like that.

Because where else can you afford to live?

But also it's accessible for building with an elevator following the raid, the real estate company, Friedman Communities became the court appointed receiver.

>> One of the demands by tenants has been that Friedman repair the building, restore the heat and electricity has Friedman been no relation?

Obviously have they've been open to hearing these demands from resident, not especially no.

There was a meeting with this will meeting with 10, the city, Utah Friday of last week that Freeman canceled actually before the court date tenants.

They've since we've been trying to go around the tenants coming together, trying to talk to foes individually.

They said things in court that are to a real-life really one of the things that happen on the court case, as they would say that they were going to relocate.

People has not been the case right.

As of asked about support, moving support.

Those things haven't happened.

The elevated to get fixed, right?

So that folks, I think to have the ability to move.

But ultimately the things that demanded that are doable, even the short term haven't been tenants asked Judge Seton for 60 Day extension, of course, be on December 12th, but she decided to keep the original date.

As we mentioned at the beginning.

>> But residents have expressed some frustration that they didn't feel like they were allowed to speak during the hearing.

What more do you think the judge should have heard from them before making her decision?

I think that, though the words of the receiver were taken.

>> face value in the words of the tenants or the lawyer that the tenant tired sandbar from work and better housing should have been given equal spacing.

The court.

>> despite living conditions, tenants have position petition for extra time talking about again, the lack other options and resources.

How are they navigating this path forward?

Have any of them been able to secure or alternate housing some have right over me?

A lot haven't.

Right.

We even as as of today like an hour ago, hand from someone was in a neighborhood.

Some people offering financial some people often with a lot folks to rent.

>> The city of Chicago has the of the mayor's office offered a nice assortment of resources as well.

We haven't much from the governor.

That's that's that's that's what's the right is.

It is a very chaotic situation.

And we're doing our best to help.

I just I do know the judge games receiver some latitude to potentially right, folks, the until the 19th.

But they have we haven't heard from the receiver.

Tennis has been reaching out asking for that time.

And how many tenants are we talking about that are still the 37 and units were the folks that are.

>> in the tenant union and I know of at least 15 units of those that we have to move out tomorrow morning tomorrow morning.

Okay.

So folks have someplace to go of those of those few that everybody getting out tomorrow that we had to really find between Monday and now.

Yeah, okay.

So you're still looking for those folks is what you're saying, OK, between now the deadline really quick.

We know that the mayor sent a letter to Friedman on the tenants behalf.

What would you like the governor to to to do and the mayor for that And then we will also soon represent >> us right to speak up and speak out and do things that can support, especially when it comes to black folks in the black That's all have to leave it up.

Best of luck to you.

Of course, tenants that you're working with Dixon, Romeo from Southside Together.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank And we're back to wrap things up right after this.

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