Links and Resources:
Helpful links to Chicago tenant resources and organizations we work with across the city and the world.
Belden Sawyer Tenant Association
The tenants of the Belden Sawyer Tenant Association (BSTA) authorized the strike on the 23rd of February, giving their landlord, Drew Millard, one week to meet with them and negotiate a lease renewal. Drew “Millionaire” Millard has been under fire since he bought BSTA’s building, failing to make even the most basic repairs.
On Christmas Eve, tenants were informed by email that they would have to be out of their long-time homes at the end of their leases. Some tenants who had been living there for decades were given less than two months to uproot their entire life and move. The union’s first win was to force Drew Millard to give them the full 120 days notice of non-renewal required by law, but the tenants were not done yet. They stood together and formed their tenant union, the tool they use in the fight against displacement and abuse by the landlord.