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FIGHTING ON THE HOME FRONT
Sit-down or sit-in
BY KRISTEN LOMBARDI

Civil disobedience has become something of a staple at demonstrations these days, a tactic used regularly, if not predictably, by anti-globalization, civil-rights, and environmental protesters. But for the longest time, the tenants’ movement has shied away from such dramatic measures — until now.

Last Wednesday night, 14 housing activists were arrested and charged with trespassing after staging a lengthy yet peaceful sit-in at Riverside Management, in Kenmore Square. The Beacon Street real-estate group houses the office of Francis Colannino, who owns a 108-unit development known as Forestvale, located in Jamaica Plain. Forestvale is an "expiring-use" property, which means that Colannino has a federal contract that supplies monthly rent subsidies ranging from $50 to $1000 for two- and three-bedroom apartments. That contract is set to expire come September.

The April 3 sit-in marks the latest twist in a long struggle. The Forestvale Tenants Association (FTA), backed by housing advocates citywide, is pressuring Colannino to renew his contract for another 20 years. The federal office of Housing and Urban Development has even offered an additional $400 per apartment in monthly subsidies, activists say — thus enabling Colannino to make as much as $8 million on the Forestvale property over the next few years. But he must agree to extend his contract. "We want to guarantee future affordability," explains Steven Weinstein, a Forestvale resident for 31 years. "I’ve got a heart. I care about people, and this is important."

Last week, Weinstein and his fellow activists set out to pump up the pressure. Colannino had refused to meet with the tenants’ association, despite a steady stream of support letters and demonstrations. Observes Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner, who attended the April 3 protest, "Activists have had no alternative except to challenge Mr. Colannino through civil disobedience."

And so, at 3:30 p.m. that day, about 20 advocates stormed the Riverside Management office, prompting Colannino to flee. The landlord left his staff to contend with the occupation until 5 p.m., at which time the Boston police arrived. Meanwhile, nearly 100 people gathered outside with banners and bullhorns, sounding the rallying cry. Two hours later, officers convinced Colannino to negotiate. He met three activists for a brief and ultimately unproductive session.

According to Steve Meachum, who directs the JP housing group City Life/Vida Urbana and who was among the negotiators, "It was clear that [Colannino] wasn’t going to budge." Within 20 minutes, in fact, Meachum declared an impasse because, he says, "Colannino wants out of the project. He doesn’t believe it’s his responsibility to keep it affordable." The Forestvale landlord did not return a phone call from the Phoenix seeking comment.

When all was said and done, 14 activists, including Meachum, were arrested. Police hauled them off to the Harrison Avenue jail, where they remained for eight hours. The following morning, they pleaded not guilty to the trespassing charges at Roxbury District Court. On May 8, they will face their first pretrial hearing.

To advocates, the message conveyed by all this is simple: people are prepared to take drastic steps to save their homes in the face of today’s housing crisis. Says Weinstein, "If we don’t fight now, there will be nothing down the road to fight for."

Issue Date: April 11 - 18, 2002
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