Across public housing developments (also known as projects) in Baltimore, residents are being charged up to nearly $2,000 in utility bills. These bills, at baseline, are fraudulent and against the contractual agreement between the residents and the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC). By law, residents of projects are not supposed to be billed for utilities; they are only required to pay the monthly rent.
Currently at Douglass Homes, the residents find themselves on the frontlines in a struggle against the Housing Authority, the historic racist housing practices of Baltimore City, and American Conservation and Billing Solutions, a third-party property management firm being used to collect on illegal bills.
On May 19, the residents of Douglass Homes held a press conference to let the public know of the utility bills. This press conference itself was an act of defiance against the Housing Authority and the racist ruling class of the city. The lead organizer of the press conference, Reverend Annie Chambers, was threatened with eviction if she went through with the press conference. The Housing Authority also threatened other residents with punishment and eviction if they attended.
However, the conference went on and alongside the residents of Douglass Homes stood community organizations that pledged to stand in solidarity with them and fight for as long as there was a need to fight. As residents and community members took the microphone to speak about the situation, across from them stood the security of Douglass Homes. These security guards repositioned themselves to intimidate those who attended the press conference, laughing at residents and standing with their hands near their equipment and weapons. It was a clear sign to those who spoke out against this injustice and those who attended that the Housing Authority does not want to respect the residents and their contracts.
Following the press conference on May 27, residents of Douglass Homes, alongside community organizations, held an open meeting to discuss the next steps and how everyone can get involved in advancing the struggle against the Housing Authority and American Conservation. The residents agreed at this meeting to go forward with legal action in Federal court. They are going to file an injunction against the Housing Authority to cease with the threats of evictions and these criminal utility bills.
Everyone present at this meeting also agreed on battling the fear campaign of the Housing Authority by talking to residents of Douglass Homes about their rights as residents of the Housing Development and the legal proceedings. It was also agreed to fight these criminal bills across the entire city and even beyond into county lines. Residents of Douglass Homes spoke of friends and family currently living in other Projects, like Latrobe and McCulloh homes, that are receiving similarly suspicious and criminal bills related to utilities.
It is worth detailing who American Conservation and Billing Solutions is. This property management company, which bills residents of Baltimore City, is located all the way in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They work for property managers and landlords, and their work includes increasing “the profitability” of the sites owned by their clients. A visit to their website tells you exactly what this company is and who they actually serve. They are nothing more than a weapon wielded by the ruling class to continue the economic and systemic oppression of poor and marginalized communities.
This type of attack has become more and more prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Huge sectors of society came to a complete halt, not only threatening profits for the bosses, but more importantly, cutting off wages and livelihoods for workers.
Despite the many lifeboats the federal government granted to businesses of all sizes, the businesses were desperate to recoup their losses. Property management companies figured out that, with a nominal fee to a legal or collections firm, they could sue people for amounts they were not owed — last month’s rent, a security deposit, you name it. And without the resources to lawyer up, the property management companies win these suits easily.
These attacks through the bogus billing by American Conservation and the collective harassment and punishment by the Housing Authority are nothing new to these communities in Baltimore. Poor and working-class communities, especially Black communities, have always come under attack in Baltimore.
As the ruling class of the city wants to expand the creation of luxury apartments and developments to increase the city’s tourist value, Black communities have historically been forcefully displaced and moved into smaller and smaller pockets around the city and its outskirts. However, these actions have failed to completely eradicate or remove the Black population, and they will fail again and forever as long as they try.
Power and Resilience to the Residents of Douglass Homes!
Power to all the Projects fighting these fraudulent bills!
Down with American Conservation and all agents and supporters of Redlining and Apartheid!
Long Live International Solidarity!
Long Live Baltimore!
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