Thread by @KCTenants

RIGHT NOW: Gabriel Tower Tenant Union is present at the Land Clearance and Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) meeting to testify that @livemillennia should be found in breach of their contract with the City. Currently, Millennia pays $0 in property taxes on this building.

Apparently Millennia submitted an "action plan" to the city to remedy their transgressions at Gabriel Tower... just yesterday. The tenants have not seen this action plan. They want Millennia out of the property. These owners are negligent and exploitative.

Inspector is reporting now. They found visible mold, water damage, and underlying issues that have not been addressed by Millennia. To date, Millennia has instead literally painted over issues at the building, forcing tenants to live in uninhabitable conditions.

Local development atty, Roxsen Koch, is repping Millennia. She is reporting now with Lee Felgar, a rep from Millennia Corporate. They are attempting to describe the problems at Gabriel Tower as isolated incidents. They're not. They're endemic to Millennia's business model.

"We will have completed the remediation for all of the complaints by the end of this week." Roxsen Koch

Here's the problem: WHY DID IT TAKE THE CITY INVESTIGATION FOR @livemillennia TO TAKE ANY ACTION?

We've heard this story before. Property owners/managers will say "we're on it, we got it, we're fixing the problem" as soon as they come under investigation. We heard this from Millennia back in June. The result? Nothing changed. At all.

It's clear that @KCMOHealthDept has been collaborating with Millennia to make sure that they clear inspections. They're aiding and abetting this negligent property owner who has received OVER SIXTY TWO Healthy Homes complaints since last year.

Who does the Health Dept work for?

Lee Felgar from @livemillennia says that we should look to their work on "transforming" the Englewood Apartments in the Northland... just a reminder, that the property had cockroaches raining down from the ceiling. kansascity.com/news/politics-…

Millennia was fined $400,000 for mismanagement of Englewood Apartments before they started fixing it up. Why does @HUDgov and @KCMOHealthDept and @EDCKC collaborate with owners like this? Who do they work for? fox4kc.com/news/troubled-…

Councilwoman @AndreaBough is asking a great line of questions. Why is @livemillennia receiving a tax abatement over years and years as problems are not being remediated?

Now @mph_phd is asking a brilliant question. Does @livemillennia have the capacity to remediate these properties? How long are we supposed to wait, and contribute as taxpayers, to make your business model work?

Lee Felgar of @livemillennia claims that they are being "honorable, open, and transparent" and has ... no answer to why Kansas City's taxpayers should be subsidizing their profit-making scheme, at the expense of our neighbors' lives.

Gabriel Tower Tenant Union is now speaking to their demands. The Union wants @livemillennia to be found in breach of their contract. You can read them in full here: docs.google.com/document/u/3/d…

Mr. Ron is describing his living situation in Gabriel Tower. "We are not treated like we are rent-paying tenants. We are treated like we are inmates in a correctional facility. We should be aging in dignity. But we are dying here."

Slyvester is speaking to Millennia's neglect. "Elderly people die in this building. No one checks on them. We don't know they're dead until we smell it. That's a horrible smell. It's a horrible feeling."

Pappy is the President of the Gabriel Tower Tenant Union. "We are sick of retaliation. We are sick of lies from management. We are sick of Millennia. We want them out of here."

"OBJECTIVELY, YOU ARE IN DEFAULT."

@mph_phd, LCRA Board Member, says to Lee Felgar, @livemillennia representative.

LCRA Board is now in closed session. They are deliberating whether to find Millennia in default of their contract with the City. They will decide the terms of the "cure period" that Millennia gets if found in default. Tenants have their demands ready: bit.ly/370SAGB

BREAKING: Kansas City's LCRA has found @livemillennia in default of their contract with the City. Millennia now has a "cure period" during which time they have to fix the issues raised through this investigation AND bargain with the tenant union.

This is a huge victory for the tenants who have been organizing with the Gabriel Tower Tenant Union. It is not everyday that an out-of-state corporate landlord faces real accountability to their tenants. Power to the people, today and everyday.

We want to thank @mph_phd, @AndreaBough, and the other members of the LCRA Board for taking the time to listen to Gabriel Tower tenants and acting on the tenants' demands. We need more champions like you. Thank you so much for your support.