KC Tenants host solidarity picket: 'Longest running rent strike in Kansas City history'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Tenants of Quality Hill Towers and Independence Towers Apartments launched a rent strike on Oct. 1. As of Friday, Oct. 18, this is now the longest coordinated rent strike in Kansas City history.

KC Tenants will host a solidarity picket at the two apartment complexes. The picket will begin at Quality Hill Towers at 5 p.m., in Kansas City, Missouri and then caravan to Independence Towers to continue the picket at 6:45 p.m.

The rent strike is to target their landlords and the Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA), the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac regulator overseeing their properties’ loans.

The unions demand national rent caps, new ownership and collectively bargained leases. Together, they have withheld over $60,000 from their landlords this month. Quality Hill Towers is owned by Sentinel Real Estate Corporation, and Independence Towers is currently under receivership by Trigild, Inc.

According to a KC Tenants' press release, the landlords and federal officials have failed to meet all the demands. Sentinel has made some repairs at Quality Hill Towers, however, they have issued late fee notices. The union is preparing in case Sentinel escalates to filing eviction notices.

FHFA met with council and promised to send tenants a formal response.

The Community Solidarity Picket will start at 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The previous record-holding for the longest rent strike in Kansas City was held in 1967.

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