Former residents of 441 Wilson Avenue, along with community supporters and local organizations, gathered to protest and demand justice for the “displacement and trauma” they have suffered after three building fires and a subsequent vacate order. The rally, which took place November 20th, highlighted the ongoing battle for housing rights in Bushwick.

The residents of 441 Wilson Avenue, a building that housed mostly young people and single mothers, were displaced after a full vacate order was issued by the building’s owner. This action left them ‘without homes and without access to their belongings’. The vacate order has been in place for almost a year, and the residents have been in a legal battle suing ownership for ‘appropriate compensation for the trauma’ they have endured as a result.

Several local leaders and community organizations voiced support for the tenants at the rally, including Council Member Sandy Nurse and representatives from Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, and State Senator Julia Salazar’s offices. Council Member Sandy Nurse declared, “After almost a year of displacement, the tenants at 441 Wilson Avenue deserve better. Since March, my office has assisted these residents through a maze of bureaucracy while they continue to be locked out of their own homes. I cannot and will not stand by and allow private equity firms like The Raisner Group to systematically push out everyday, long time residents who have called Bushwick home for years. I am standing with these tenants today to affirm that we will not condone their mistreatment and we will support them in their struggle for housing justice in our district”.