Organized by the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS), last Sunday, approximately 70 Somerville tenants rallied in support of four families from El Salvador and one family from Haiti who are at imminent risk of displacement in October.

A company called BBD Holdings LLC bought their building and abruptly raised rents by 74% and then decided to demand that the tenants leave without a cause– another brutal example of the tidal wave of gentrification sweeping the new Green Line Extension corridor. The public demonstration took place at 182-184 Tremont Street, Somerville, just a few minutes-walk from the Union Square GLX Station.

During the rally “United for Tremont Street”, organizers and members of the Somerville community demanded that lawmakers develop a comprehensive plan that mitigates unaffordable rent increases and tempers market forces driving the displacement of local residents and small businesses.

Since the legislative session ended in July, the demonstration highlighted the refusal of Massachusetts lawmakers to enact housing policies that would prevent further displacement of vulnerable residents from urban communities, such as lifting the statewide ban on rent control, allowing eviction records to be sealed, imposing a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing, and passing the tenant opportunity to purchase act (TOPA). The organizers joined a statewide movement calling on lawmakers to return this fall for a special session that addresses the housing crisis.

Carlos Salazar, an immigrant from El Salvador who has lived in the same apartment for 27 years said that the previous owner sold the building and he doesn’t know the new owner. “We are being evicted and have nowhere to go. I was hoping the landlord would be here, because we don’t know who they are and they don’t know us; we want to talk to them and ask them to stay in our homes. We are asking that our rights be respected,” he said during the protest.

Santos Cruz, who is Salazar’s wife, also made an appeal: “We have never had a problem, not even with rent arrears. But now we were caught by surprise and the new owner never spoke to us or gave us an explanation. First, he sent a letter saying that he would raise the rent from $1,150 to $1,800 starting September 1, and then to $2,000 in January. But the following week he told us that he didn’t want any more money from us and that we have to leave because he is going to demolish the building. We can’t accept it happening this way and they should know they are evicting good people.”

Another resident, Jose Kendy Oge, from the Haitian community, moved into the building 5 years ago and is struggling to find an affordable apartment in the area. “We just had a baby, my wife is not working because she is still recovering from birth and the cost of housing is too high so we need more time to find an affordable option. We hope that the landlord is touched by the presence of so many in the community,” he said.

“We’re here today in solidarity with these families, asking Matthew Urciuoli, owner of BBD Holdings LLC, to come to the table and begin collective negotiations. We have sent a letter to Matthew and his lawyer and are waiting for their response. Our neighbors have not yet been able to speak to anyone from BBD Holdings because people like Matthew Urciuoli try to hide behind these limited liability companies and disregard their responsibility to the community”, emphasized CAAS Community Organizer Samantha Wolfe.

According to Camila Gutierrez Plata, also a CAAS Community Organizer, after research to find out more information about BBD Holdings LLC, it was discovered that Mr. Urciuoli recently purchased another building in Somerville and is converting it to luxury housing. “We won’t stand by as investors continue to destroy this community. When you come for our neighbors, you come for all of us and we’re not going to let that happen”, highlighted Camila.

The tenants of 182-184 Tremont Street asked supporters to sign a petition requesting the new owner to meet with them and begin collective negotiations for an agreement about their continued tenancy. The trilingual petition is available at: tinyurl.com/UnitedForTremont.