Ms. Gloria Ward of the ArtSpace Bell Tenant Association
Ms. Gloria is a tenant leader with the ArtSpace Bell Tenant Association, a tenant union at the ArtSpace Bell apartment complex in the Treme, where she also manages a community garden named “Ms. Glo’s Garden.” Amid continued budget season and housing woes, we are thankful for tenant leaders who guide us toward justice, like Ms. Glo, whose wisdom is shared below.
Yasin Frank Southall: Ms. Gloria, what does power mean to you?
Ms. Gloria: Power means you can control things happening to you in your life. I always think about what I’m going to do and the effect it has on others and how it’s going to make things better.
YFS: I love that definition! What does taking collective action mean to you?
MG: It looks like getting people together on the same idea plan and working to make things right. If everyone has a plan and stays in their lane, we can get it right!
YFS: Why did you and other tenants come together to create a tenant union here?
MG: Because it seems like the building [management] didn’t care about ArtSpace Bell. We wanted to get together and keep it in good condition. We want to know who our neighbors are.
YFS: The mentality of slumlords is often, “We own the land!” The reality is that the tenants control things. We as tenants pay the mortgage, and monitor repairs needed. We are the stewards of the land. What are your thoughts about that?
MG: Yeah, I know that [the apartments] belong to us [as tenants], but they don’t treat us with respect. The artists, musicians, and everyone here should be able to use all the resources here. But they don’t treat us with respect. We want better.
YFS: What are some of the things y’all have won so far?
MG: We have stopped a bunch of illegal evictions of tenants who didn’t know their rights. How they do it [the accounting] is confusing… people get these letters saying they owe “this and that” amount of money when the amount is often wrong. We were able to make changes with that. We were able to get many repairs made. But we want McCormack Baron [management company] to be MORE accountable [to tenants].
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Check out the full interview on Facebook.com (@JanePlaceCLT) on November 5.
Short-Term Rental Updates: Inching Along The Long Way to Go
City Council recently passed two new short-term rental (STR) regulations. As a review, since 2016, STRs in New Orleans have been subject to a series of changing rules, which have often gone unenforced or felt performative. To give an example: in 2020, the City appointed a former manager of the city’s largest STR operator company, who retained a stake in that company, to a position overseeing STR regulation. Acknowledging many bumps (craters?) in the STR road before and since then, we wanted to share info on the new measures, which will:
- remove the exception process through which, on residential square blocks where the legal limit of one STR already exists, up to two additional applicants can apply for STR licenses as “exceptions” and
- require platforms (e.g., Airbnb) to both (a) pay higher fees to list properties in New Orleans and to (b) themselves verify if STRs listed on their sites are legal.
The city’s abysmal STR track record, combined with the lack of real teeth behind the second new ordinance (its language does specify punishments for platforms not in compliance), leave us wondering how and if things will actually change. We’ll update you as policies take effect.
City Budget Updates
Having enough quality, affordable housing in our city would put slumlords out of business! The City needs to inject over $100 million into anti-displacement, rental assistance, and permanently affordable rentals! It’s not too late to advocate for these asks via The Big Easy Deal. For an easy template for emailing your councilmember to support the Deal, head to bigeasydeal.org/take-action-1 and check out tinyurl.com/ourtaxesourhomes to learn about calling on your councilmembers to spend OUR collective taxes on the things YOU need!
Upcoming Fun Events, Workshops, and How to Connect
Wanna get involved? Get informed? Join us at these events!
New Orleans Renters’ Rights Assembly (and Renters’ Rights Clinic)
Thursday 11/7
6-8 p.m.
First Grace UMC (entrance through back parking lot)
3401 Canal St. 70119
Know Your Rights, Know Your Power: Renters’ Rights Workshop
Saturday 11/9
2-4 p.m.
Nora Navra Library
1902 St. Bernard Ave. 70116
Housing Justice Fall Horror Film Series: Sorry to Bother You
Tuesday 11/26
6-8:30 p.m.
Parish Hall
2533 Columbus St. 70119
For more information, email frank@jpnsi.org, or text UPDATES to 504-517-5470 with your name and the event you have interest in.
Photo: Yasin Frank Southall
