Bob Veal, an Army veteran, has lived in Victory Gardens, a largely affordable apartment complex for veterans in Newington, for more than a decade. Now, he is facing the possibility of losing his home as a result of what he considers landlord retaliation for forming a tenants union last year.
Veal, co-vice president of the Victory Gardens Tenants Union, along with several other tenants union leaders, recently received notice of unpaid rent, which they say is untrue.
鈥淭here's proof that there was accounting errors, and myself and a couple of the other members of the Union were experiencing this particular accounting error. So we're trying to figure out why,鈥� Veal said.
New Neighborhoods, a property management company, purchased Victory Gardens three years ago and initially recognized the tenants union, which formed last year. However, Veal said the company cut off communication with the union in March.
鈥淲e want them to acknowledge the fact that we do speak for the majority of the tenants here and all we want is to be treated fairly and with respect,鈥� Veal said.
After months without a union contact, management recently informed several residents that they owed unpaid rent. Veal and others said they don鈥檛 owe rent and a clerical error is to blame for the bill. He was initially asked to pay about $6,000 in owed rent.
Disabled and unable to work due to a stroke, Veal said he is working with the to get the clerical error amended.
鈥淚 was shaken by this, and I'm trying to work with them to secure funding to pretty much make this go away, because I don't have that kind of money,鈥� Veal said.
Saray Chappell, another union leader, received notice of eviction proceedings started against her due to claims of unpaid rent. Chappell said this is also the result of a clerical mistake.
Chappell, who is also an Army veteran and co-vice president of the Victory Gardens Tenants Union, said her home feels like a second war zone.
鈥淭his is the time for us to be able to live in peace, and we find ourselves fighting once again just to be able to have some kind of peace, some kind of respect, and it's just been an ongoing battle,鈥� Chappell said.
The development, which is on land owned by the Veterans Affairs Hospital, has 74 apartments. The 海角换妻 Tenants Union estimates about 66% of the apartments are rented by veterans.
While the majority of Victory Gardens renters are veterans, many of the other tenants pay rent at an affordable rate, based on their income.
Prior to the unpaid rent concerns, the tenants union was looking to gain access to the community room and the basements attached to each apartment.
They also want a new property manager, as residents say the current property manager treats tenants poorly, Chappell said.
鈥淚t's clearly retaliation. It's clearly vindictive actions against me,鈥� Chappell said. 鈥淚've been a good neighbor. I've been a good tenant. I keep up with my home. I follow the lease rules. I get along with everyone. I've never had any issues with any of my neighbors.鈥�
New Neighborhoods is a nonprofit housing developer, with a track record of taking over and fixing up poorly managed properties, according to Jamey Healy, President and Chief Executive Officer of New Neighborhoods.
The initial documented requests drawn up by the tenants union called for all interested parties to sign and agree to the terms, Healy said. Several government and quasi-government agencies are involved in New Neighborhoods, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the 海角换妻 Housing Finance Authority (CHFA).
鈥淚 do not have the authority to bind the investors. I don't have the authority to bind CHFA HUD, the Veterans Administration and so on, and that's basically what they're looking for,鈥� Healy said. 鈥淭hey're wanting an all encompassing agreement that no matter, whoever is involved with this property for the rest of time, will be bound by anything that we say we'd like to do for them.鈥�
Healy said he was unaware of any eviction proceedings started against residents, but did say there was one clerical error that raised a question over unpaid rent, but was resolved.
Healy believes the union is a result of personality conflicts between the property manager and a couple tenants. He said he wants to help tenants but can鈥檛 abide by the union鈥檚 current requests.
鈥淭here are things that they asked for that we don't have the ability to address. There are things that we do, but anything that would be a violation of landlord tenant laws of fair housing, laws of just human good deed and decency and practices, we're going to make sure we make it right for them.鈥�
