VICTORY: Annie wins eviction case vs. DSF Group!
Annie’s win is a major victory in the ongoing fight led by the Fairlawn Tenant Association of Mattapan, who've been fighting for housing justice since investor DSF bought their building in 2018.
On Wednesday, beloved CLVU member Annie Gordon won her eviction fight against national corporate investor DSF Group as a jury sided with her in a crucial decision that will allow her to stay in her home of fifty years! Annie is a 75-year-old tenant association leader at Fairlawn Apartments in Mattapan.
Annie’s win is a major victory in an ongoing fight led by the Fairlawn Tenant Association, a group of tenants, mostly senior women, who continue demanding negotiations for long-term rental contracts since DSF bought the 347-unit Fairlawn building in 2018 and immediately hiked up rents by large amounts tenants could not afford. Dozens of supporters showed up at Eastern Housing Court on Monday to support Annie before she began her trial.
In 2018, DSF Group bought the Fairlawn building and rebranded it “SoMa at the T,” capitalizing off the new Blue Hill Ave commuter rail stop that Fairlawn and Mattapan residents, including Annie Gordon, advocated for in order to have equitable transit connection in Boston. DSF immediately raised rents and tried to push longtime tenants, including many Black seniors and residents of multiple decades, out of the property. Annie was told to pay $275 more monthly, an amount she could not afford. For years, the Fairlawn tenants have asked for negotiations and held rallies and vigils outside their building to pressure the investor-owners. This week, DSF tried to evict Annie for “unwarranted conduct”— which seemed like clear retaliation for Annie’s work with her tenant association to fight displacement from their homes. Wednesday afternoon, the jury found that Annie had not violated her lease and would not have to leave her home.
“Relieved. All I can say is I’m relieved. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” said Annie Gordon, who was emotional after winning the case yesterday. She relished her victory, but acknowledged she still isn’t able to live in peace until DSF negotiates a reasonable deal that will allow her to stay in her home. “The fight continues. I hope DSF will negotiate for a long-term solution– I want to be able to live in my home in peace, without huge rent increases and the threat of eviction, when all I’ve done is be a good tenant. I picked up a new job when DSF bought our building and raised rents, but I can only afford so much, and I want to negotiate something long-term that will give me real stability.”
Betty Lewis, Annie’s neighbor and another tenant leader in the Fairlawn Tenant Association who has been fighting her own eviction, was inspired by Annie’s win. “We at Fairlawn Tenant Association are fighting for us Fairlawn tenants to be able to stay in our homes, and today Annie won. We’re the ones who fought for the train stop for the neighborhood so we can get into the city, and now that is now bringing in investors like DSF, who want to kick us out. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen. We’ll keep fighting – where else are we supposed to go?”
The jury also decided that DSF Group was not retaliating against Annie. Fairlawn Tenant Association members reiterated their desire to negotiate long-term contracts to stay in their homes, and will continue pushing DSF to negotiate in good faith. “We hope DSF will come to the table for a long-term contract. After all the sweat equity these women have put into their community for so many years, they deserve housing stability in Mattapan,” said Gabrielle Rene, Mattapan Community Organizer with City Life/Vida Urbana.
Gabrielle Rene added that Annie’s case and the story of Fairlawn is a perfect example of why Massachusetts residents need rent control, TOPA (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act), and transfer fees. “With these tools, years of struggle for dozens of families and Black women could have been avoided, homes for Mattapan tenants could remain affordable long-term, and residents like Annie could afford to stay in their homes without constant stress.” This is increasingly important as more speculative investors like DSF buy properties across Greater Boston to turn a profit, often with little concern for residents living inside. City Life/Vida Urbana works with dozens of tenant associations across the region, from Boston to Brockton to Ayer and between, who are fighting mass eviction by investors looking to push residents out at the point of sale or shortly after purchasing the building. Annie’s win in court serves as an example for other tenant associations that tenant organizing and collective bargaining can lead to victory even when facing powerful corporations like DSF.