KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tuesday marks one week since Quality Hill Towers Tenant Union and Independence Towers Tenant Union launched their rent strikes.
Union members at Quality Hill Towers are adamant their strike will continue until the Federal Housing Finance Agency and its property owner, Sentinel Real Estate Corporation, meet their demands.
Both unions asked for national rent caps on federally-financed properties, new owners and collectively bargained leases.
Enrique Rodriguez and Lawrence Sims are residents of Quality Hill Towers in Kansas City, Missouri, and are union members.
Both say they've seen more maintenance workers at the buildings since the rent strike launched.
"That doesn't change the fact that things are still wrong in the building," Rodriguez said.
Last week, Quality Hill Towers management notified Rodriguez's building that it would be without water from Oct. 7 through Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to fix toilet flush valves.
Quality Hill Towers provided the following statement — in part — to KSHB 41 News regarding the water shutoff:
“Management has been working with the union in good faith for more than a year and continues to respect and affirm tenants’ rights to organize. However, claims being made by the tenant union are false. The work being demanded either has already been completed or is underway – executing a rent strike will only impede the property’s ability to complete these necessary repairs.
Necessary repairs include the work that is currently being done to replace each and every toilet flush valve in 905 Jefferson. As the union has clearly agreed, there is plumbing work that requires addressing, and in order to conduct building-wide plumbing work of this nature, water service must be shut off. This is one of the projects management has notified all residents of on numerous occasions, most recently yesterday as a reminder that this project is commencing now. Shutting off the water while the work is being done is a logistical need in order to improve plumbing service across the building. Management agrees this project is necessary given the age of the current equipment, and as stated, they remain committed to improving the property and residents’ living experiences. Management has been clear about when this work will be completed – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays (not weekends) between October 7 and October 18. To accommodate for this, management has also made cases of water available to all residents who need them while the work is underway.
The water shutoff is an issue for Rodriguez, who works night shifts and is at home during the day.
"They should've came to the union and negotiated better times that would've worked for us," he said.
For Sims, he says he experienced water leaking from his bathroom ceiling last week, in addition to previous instances.
"I feel like I'm not getting what I paid for," he said.
The union says no one has been evicted since the strike began.
"I think that's because we had that support from the eight city council members from the letter they sent us and to the property management," Rodriguez said.
Eight Kansas City, Missouri, city council members signed a letter dated Oct. 3 to the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Sentinel in support of the Quality Hill Towers Tenant Union.
The letter reads, in part, "We demand you negotiate with the Tenant Union to address their very reasonable concerns and refrain from any escalatory or retaliatory actions against the tenants."
It was signed by Jonathan Duncan, 6th District Councilmember; Andrea Bough, 6th Councilmember; Eric Bunch, 4th District Councilmember; Melissa Robinson, 3rd District Councilmember; Kevin O'Neill, 1st District Councilmember; Crispin Rea, 4th District Councilmember; Melissa Patterson Hazley, 3rd District Councilmember; Darrell Curls, 5th District Councilmember.
On Oct. 3, the city's Healthy Home team inspected 13 units at Quality Hill Towers.
According to the city, they found the following violations:
- Peeling paint
- Issues with hot water not getting hot enough
- Pest activity (live and dead)
- Lights not working
- Outlet not working
- Running toilet
- The bathroom sink backs up into the bathtub.
- Missing kitchen cabinet door
- Leaking showerhead
- Dishwasher not working
- The exit sign is not secured.
- Poor housekeeping and harborage in units
"Property management has submitted corrective action and compliance plans to abate the noted violations during the sweep," a city spokesperson said in a statement to KSHB 41 News regarding the inspection.
While the rent strike is in place, Quality Hill Towers management said 75% of tenants have paid their rent as of Oct. 7, and it says that is above average compared to other months of 2024.
For Rodriguez and Sims, they said they won't pay until their demands are met.
Sims is considering organizing a sit-in at the property management's office if they do not come to the table.
"I just thought that a sit-in might force them to talk to us about something," Sims said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.