Year-End Story #3

Anti-Displacement Story on Harvard Street

After months of resident organizing and multiple purchase attempts, BNCLT has crossed an important milestone towards the purchase of a two-family, occupied building in Dorchester: the owner has finally accepted our offer, which is a crucial first step toward purchase. By contributing to BNCLT, you give us the support we need to advance our core mission in moments like these — to combat displacement and racial injustice by creating permanently affordable, community-controlled housing in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. In addition to your annual end-of-year contribution, we are calling on you to help us fundraise the $200,000 we need to purchase the Harvard Street building. (We have received our first pledge of $50,000 toward the $200,000!) If you are interested in pledging support for this acquisition, contact us at mlevy@bnclt.org / 617-237-6044.

The tenants of Harvard Street have lived in this building for three years, and have been fighting to stay here for months. They found this home after facing multiple experiences of housing insecurity, and are deeply invested in the property, neighborhood, and local community organizing efforts. While the landlord told the tenants they could rely on this property as a stable home, he put it up for sale without informing them, and they have received multiple eviction notices. One of the tenants shared her story with us: 

“After looking so much for so long … we finally got the apartment. [...] [The landlord] used to always tell us, ‘I want you to be happy. I want [the other tenant] to be happy. I want both of you to be happy. [...]’ Had us really thinking this. [...] We came here [...] at the beginning of 2021 [...] and it seemed great, until [the landlord] thew that on me and my neighbor — he didn’t even tell us. He had this broker that came and was like ‘your landlord is selling the house [...]’ That’s how it all started us off — us knowing that the house was for sale. And then it became a nightmare. ”

The tenants have been organizing with City Life/Vida Urbana to stay in their homes:

“So we’re in City Life/Vida Urbana, and we’re putting up the posters [saying] ‘we shall not be moved.’ They’re all over the house. [...] The place is pretty strong — It still needs some work. Basically what happened is [the landlord] didn’t want to be bothered with it anymore. It definitely has potential. It’s a good place. We love it. I think he just didn’t realize being a landlord, you have to go to your tenants. [...] There’s so many different things that have happened. We’re just the best tenants. We take care of [the issues] ourselves. [...] He’s lucky that he has tenants like us. ”

Through City Life/Vida Urbana, they got connected with BNCLT:

“We got connected to BNCLT through City Life, as members of City Life. I’m a leader there. We’re trying to stay here. [...] We did Zoom meetings [with BNCLT] and had to come up with plans, to see how we can make this happen. We told [BNCLT] all the inside work of what’s going on [...] There’s not too many [affordable housing] left — how many affordable are there? What are the protocols of gentrification? We’re being moved out of our [neighborhoods]. I’m born in Roxbury — I’m born and bred here. So not to be able to live even in Roxbury… When I go by there, I cry. My mother’s house — I look at it, because it was a mini mansion, I cry. So just to be able to have this happen, and to be able to share with other people that feel unstable.”

Harvard Street tenant testifying at the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) hearing in November 2023.

This past summer, BNCLT got initial approval for the money we needed from the City of Boston to purchase the property, but the landlord refused to sell. At the November TOPA hearing before the Joint Committee on Housing, the tenant explained:

“Right now I have received a couple of notices to move out. We’ve been [working] with BNCLT to be able to buy the property. But even though they have offered market price to buy [the property] and secure us into solidarity so that we don’t have to move, the landlord doesn’t want to do this. [...] So right now, I’m in danger, we’re going through medical issues. [...] Through BNCLT, who worked with us strongly as a team, we hope that we [will] be able to stay in our homes.”

Today, the landlord is finally agreeing to sell the property to BNCLT, but the city’s money for property acquisitions has run low, so we do not have the funds we need to make the purchase. We need to raise the “last mile” funds of $200,000. (We have received our first pledge of $50,000 toward the $200,000!) If you are interested in pledging support for this acquisition, contact us at mlevy@bnclt.org / 617-237-6044.

Your support fosters this mission that you care so much about and propels us all forward!