Pioneer tenants organized against their landlord. Now they say they're being pushed out

Tenants of Pioneer Investments, which owns properties around Rhode Island, say they are being pushed out of their apartments after weathering poor conditions caused by neglect.

On Monday, tenants plan to rally in West Warwick alongside Reclaim RI, a progressive group that has helped to organize renters in their fight for better conditions from their landlord, Anurag Sureka. That has included writing letters to Sureka and showing up outside his home in protest.

The latest demonstration was to be held outside the home of Melissa Grussi, a Pioneer tenant of several years, whose home is rife with maintenance problems. During a visit on Friday, a Providence Journal reporter saw a pool of water more than 12 feet wide in the basement caused by a leak from the kitchen sink, what appeared to be vermin droppings, a strong sewage stench from a bathroom, uneven flooring, a hole in a wooden porch and crumbling sections of foundation.

More: Tenants band together against RI landlord as they face deplorable conditions

A history of complaints against Pioneer properties

In the past, the attorney general's office has declined to say whether it is investigating Pioneer.

Grussi is among many tenants who have tried to raise awareness of living conditions at Pioneer's apartments, though it may cost her her home. In a recording of a late-January phone call with a man she identified as Sureka, Grussi was told, "If you're unhappy, then try to find somewhere else."

During the call, the man also asked Grussi if 30 days would be long enough for her to find a new place. He later mentioned Reclaim RI, apparently referring to its role in organizing tenants.

More: A Central Falls couple's twins were struggling. Then a blood test showed high lead levels

For Pioneer, maintenance issues aren't new. The Journal has previously covered its properties, which are poorly maintained and have often lacked proper lead certificates. Most recently, The Journal published an investigation into the lead poisoning of two children at a Pioneer property in Central Falls — both of whom may suffer developmental difficulties as a result, though it remains too early to tell.

Grussi, a single mother of three who manages a Dunkin' location, said she is having trouble finding new housing because of an eviction Sureka filed against her for a brief period of nonpayment of rent while she was in the hospital last year. Grussi said Sureka was informed that the payment would be coming, and she applied for COVID relief funds for use on rent.

Now, finding a new unit won't be easy. Grussi said she already has an older eviction on her record because of a dispute with family; both will remain visible as she applies for new apartments, raising a major obstacle.

Sabastian Colton, another West Warwick tenant who was attempting to organize other renters, said he received a termination of tenancy notice requiring him to leave by the end of the month. Colton said he has lived in his McNiff Street unit for more than a year and has dealt with a leaky ceiling that has gone unaddressed.

More: Radon is a big risk in Rhode Island, but renters are left to face the danger on their own

According to Samuel Grossack, Pioneer's attorney, Grussi "has made it very difficult for [Pioneer] to conduct maintenance in her unit," though an exterminator has visited the property and "Pioneer would gladly update and repair her unit if she made it accessible." Grossack said Pioneer has offered her another apartment on Providence Street, but she did not take it. Grussi told The Journal she made that decision because she felt the street was too busy to be safe for her youngest child.

Grossack said that during Grussi's period of nonpayment, she was already four months behind and Pioneer wanted all four months before moving forward. Grussi provided The Journal with an email from RIHousing showing that in August 2021, the year after she applied for rent relief, she finally was approved for past-due rent and some future rent.

Grossack said Grussi's "potential association with ReclaimRI has nothing to do with Pioneer's discussion of her move out" and that Sureka never told Grussi to stay quiet. However, in the call Grussi shared, she was told, "I don't want to be in a situation where there is so much noise, and you know exactly what noise I'm talking about. You've been part of that noise."

Regarding Colton's unit, Grossack said the ceiling was fixed but that water may still drip down if the above tenant overfills their bathtub.

The Journal also left a voicemail for a woman whom a tenant identified as the property manager but did not hear back.

"RI has a law on the books that prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants for complaining or joining a tenants’ union," Shana Crandell, Reclaim RI's lead tenant organizer, said in a statement. "We encounter isolated cases of retaliation all the time — the unspoken rule for Pioneer tenants is to shut up or get out, and to expect rent increases but no repairs."

Garth Verrill, a father of two who lives on Pond Street, said he, too, received a notice to leave this month, apparently so that his apartment can be remodeled. Like Colton, Verrill said he's had ceiling leaks that have not been patched up. While Verrill didn't participate much in Reclaim RI's organizing efforts, he has been frustrated by Sureka's handling of the property.

More: How a Pawtucket man lost his $160,000 childhood home over a $1,182 water bill.

"It’s full neglect," Verrill said. "He just doesn’t care until he’s forced to do something."

Reclaim RI is now trying to raise $50,000 in part to help affected tenants cover rent and security deposits for any new housing they find.

Miguel Martinez Youngs, Reclaim RI's co-political director, said the situation shows why the General Assembly should pass safeguards for tenants.

"As despicable as Pioneer Investments is, they're not the only RI landlord who treats their tenants like this," Martinez Youngs said. "This is why we need comprehensive reform to tenant rights in this state. Current protections are so outdated that tenants are forced into accepting awful living conditions while constantly facing the threat of eviction. Meanwhile, these negligent landlords make huge profits and face no consequences."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Pioneer tenants say they're being pushed out after organizing