By Reed Dunlea
On November 20, around 200 people rallied in support of Crown Heights resident Francis, a 75 year old Black man who has been living in his apartment for 25 years. The Crown Heights Tenant Union claims Francis has been harassed by his landlord with the intent of getting him to vacate his home.
"Sometimes when it gets real cold even with this space heater running, you start to shake uncontrollably. I’m in a sleeping bag under a thick blanket with my coat and winter clothes on," says Francis. "I’m a symptom of a systematic failure. This should not happen in New York City in 2022."
Francis gave journalists and elected official representatives a walkthrough of his home after the rally.
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| Supporters Showed Up on One of the First Freezing Days |
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| Keep Francis Home |
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| Crown Heights Tenant Union: End Landlord Harassment |
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Jane Sampeur : "What the city is allowing to happen to an elderly black man is absolutely egregious." |
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| Council Member Chi Ossé Joins the Crowd |
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Alvin Dan: "The NYPD is literally just watching this happen then going back to play candy crush on their phone."
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| Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe. |
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Sherease Torain: "What happens to one of us happens to all of us… HPD [Housing Preservation and Development] has failed us, not these LLC’s, because people are gonna do what they’re allowed to do." |
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"I’m overwhelmed that so many people would come out in the cold today and support me."
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| State Assembly Member Brian Cunningham: "The state is paying attention now. The city is paying attention now… At the end of the day, the commissioners, the Mayor, all of us work for you. And there’s no reason people living in this city should have to go through this." |
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Francis's entranceway
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| Francis's walls |
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| Francis's bedroom |
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