The tenants - recorded live by Oaklandside’s Natalie Orenstein [Or-n-stein] - were protesting outside the home of UrbanCore Development LLC President and CEO Micheal Johnson. UrbanCore Development owns the Coliseum Connections apartment complex.
Following the flooding on New Year’s Eve – which left the 110-unit complex uninhabitable – tenants were left in limbo, with some families sharing one hotel room without a kitchen.
The Coliseum Connections Tenant Association – which works alongside the local tenants union, the Tenant Neighborhood Council (TANC) – organized the protest.
On June 18th, TANC delivered a letter to Johnson, which outlined the displaced tenant’s list of demands. Those demands include: a 60-day displaced fund for both affordable and market-rate tenants, that timelines for relocation be extended, and more transparency about the work being done at the Coliseum Connections building.
The association asked for a response from Johnson by June 30th. He has since acknowledged receiving the letter, but he has not yet responded.