SOMERS POINT — As the affordable housing crisis becomes a national issue, tenants in Somers Point are coming together to learn more about their rights under state law and fight back against abuses by out-of-state landlords who ignore renter rules in New Jersey.
What started as a collective effort by the tenants of the 17-unit Highbank Apartments to resist evictions has grown over the past few weeks as renters across Somers Point realize they are facing many of the same issues, such as landlords demanding unconscionable increases in rent, group spokesman Levi Fox stated in a news release.
In early September, residents of the Highbank Apartments received “Notices to Quit” their homes by the end of the year, with a mention that it was based on the impending sale of the property requiring it be empty — in what tenants quickly learned may be a violation of state law, Fox stated.
After the initial shock wore off, the residents began to talk to each other about what they could do, with some looking at local housing options and others seeking legal advice.
What they discovered led them to start the Somers Point Renters’ Rights Movement, with fliers encouraging tenants across town to come together to demand that landlords follow state law.
According to Fox, “it really all started at the City Council meeting on Oct. 10, when multiple people who had seen our fliers stayed after to talk to me about their concerns.”
During the meeting, one man who had brought his flier with him spoke about how rising rents were harming the community, prompting City Councilman Howard Dill to come out publicly in favor of forming a committee to explore rent controls.
A woman who arrived minutes after the meeting ended mentioned rising rents as well as her landlord not taking care of maintenance as the biggest issues she and her husband faced, despite having lived in their apartment for years, Fox stated.
“She noted her husband was scared to come to City Council for fear of retaliation by the landlord, reinforcing the idea that tenants who do not realize their rights are being bullied,” Fox stated.
He noted that one goal of the movement is to share the information he and his neighbors have learned so that others in Somers Point who may be facing similar issues can know their rights.
“We want people to know that landlords cannot raise rents by hundreds of dollars every year, landlords cannot threaten to evict you because they want to turn your building into an Airbnb, and landlords cannot retaliate against you for organizing neighbors or speaking at City Council,” Fox stated.
The Somers Point Renters’ Rights Movement encourages anyone interested in learning more about these issues to attend upcoming City Council meetings. The next one is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at City Hall. Future meetings are scheduled for Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.