On the West Side, we look out for each other. That's why we're learning about the evictions process. We know many of our neighbors could lose their homes when the eviction moratorium lifts in mid-September, and we want to be there to provide support. And, we want families at risk of eviction to know their rights and understand what might be coming.

This week, West Siders joined together for a virtual training to understand how evictions work – from getting an eviction filed, to going to court, to removing an eviction from your record. At the upcoming West Side Voices meeting on Tuesday, September 8, we’ll debrief the training and discuss how to support West Siders navigating the process – whether it’s providing child care or tech support for online hearings, or connecting neighbors to resources, and more. Register for the West Side Voices meeting here to make sure you get the Zoom link!

Click here to watch a recording of our training on how evictions work.

Click here for the presentation slides. 

Thanks to everyone who attended the August 23 meeting on Evictions Defense!

Court Support is the next step in our ongoing work to defend against evictions and displacement on the West Side. Thanks to everyone who attended our August 23 meeting on eviction defense at Parque Castillo. Here’s a recap of what we discussed while munching on burritos (thanks, El Burrito!):

• Lifelong West Sider and community advocate Marcus Troy shared his experience standing up to his landlord and fighting for housing stability. He said, “Keep locals local.” We agree. Fighting displacement is critical to making #WestSideStrong.
• Many tenants talked about the challenge of paying rent. It was hard before COVID-19 hit and thousands of people nationwide lost their jobs. Now, the pandemic continues on with no end in sight, the economic recovery is a long way off, and people are worried about what’s coming this winter. While the situation feels dire, speakers underscored the importance of staying persistent in our housing justice efforts on the West Side and beyond.
• Vanessa del Campo Chacon, a leader from Inquilinxs Unidxs tenants’ rights group, shared the story of tenants who, with collective action, successfully fought against notorious Minneapolis landlord Steve Frenz – and won. With incredible tenacity, grit, and hope, she and her neighbors bought their apartment building to form the Sky Without Limits Housing Cooperative. When tenants come together, we can shift the paradigm and build community wealth!