Independence tenants demand action on poor conditions: ‘Paychecks rather than people’
A group of about 30 Independence Tower residents and advocates gathered in the basement of the building Thursday morning with members of KC Tenants, a local tenant union, to protest their living conditions.
They chanted “Independence Tower... We are power.”
“Our home is infested with roaches,” said Hunter Stephens, a leader of the tenant union at Independence Towers. “On my first day, I opened my silverware drawer and found my buggy roommates crawling through my forks. Now I don’t use those cabinets because that’s disgusting.”
Residents complained of cockroaches, mice and other pests. In the summer, they said there’s frequently no air conditioning, and in the winter, no heating. That describes some of the poor living conditions several residents told The Star they’ve endured at Independence Towers, located at 728 Jennings Road.
For two weeks starting March 1, residents lost access to hot water. Last week, Hunter’s hallway flooded. The water had been turned off, but when it came back on, apartments began to flood.
Joshua Jamison, another resident, said dirty sewage water came up through his tub and sink, noting, “It’s completely unacceptable for a place one should call home.”
After concerns were raised in March by residents and KC Tenants, which reached out to the owner on March 7 for an update, the city stated they’re willing to tag the building as uninhabitable, which would displace all residents in the building if fixes aren’t made soon.
But so far, complaints to management, residents said, go nowhere. Many tenants told The Star they were afraid to come forward to city officials or to get help related to other issues with living conditions because of the possibility of being hit with a non-renewal release.
Michelle Paylor, 63, said she received one after reaching out to the city, and moved out at the end of March. That’s when she and other tenants decided to form a union to fight against management.
“I don’t want to be afraid anymore,” she said.
Independence Towers is managed by Tango Management, which is owned by FTW Investments, a company which also managed a complex which The Star reported on in Jan. 2023 for leaving tenants for days without heat during the winter.
Parker Webb, FTW’s chief executive officer and manager of Tango Management, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and neither did FTW Investments. The property was recently listed for sale by Friedman Real Estate, which also did not respond to requests for comment.
Jamison has lived at Independence Towers for four years. He moved in because it was affordable. At the time, he was going through a divorce and was just leaving the military. He was moved from the 10th floor to the 2nd due to construction. His old floor is now condemned.
“I found that the carpet was never changed from the previous tenants,” Jamison said when he moved to his 2nd floor apartment. “I had dents in my walls. I also had paint peeling from the walls and ceiling. I had no heating air or air conditioning in my living room or bedroom for eight months of my lease.”
‘Not just numbers on a balance sheet’
In their demands, tenants are asking for immediate solutions for their plumbing, water, HVAC, pest, elevator and mold issues. This includes eliminating the mice, rats and cockroaches that infest their units. They also ask for accountability in responding to communication within 24 hours, a rent freeze for the rest of the year and an increase thereafter not to exceed 3% a year.
Tenants also demand there to be no evictions, displacement, rent increases, harassment or any other forms of retaliation from requesting such demands.
Anna Heetman, resident for five years said, “Parker Webb has no problem treating us as paychecks rather than people, and then retaliating against us.” Things are different now, she said, because 45 tenants have joined the union, making up over 55% of the complex.
“We need Parker Webb to come to the negotiation table and agree to fix our homes,” Heeman said. “We need Parker Webb to know that we are not just numbers on a balance sheet.”
KC Tenants are giving Tango Management until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8 to respond to their demands.
