Tenants Call For Meeting with HavenBrook Homes and Pretium Partners
Following Attorney General Keith Ellison’s lawsuit against HavenBrook Homes LLC, North Minneapolis HavenBrook tenants are announcing their vision for justice. Tenants are demanding that HavenBrook Homes and Pretium Partners meet with them, fulfill renters' demands, and ensure they have safe and dignified housing.
Tenants allege going months without receiving a response from HavenBrook Homes after reporting broken furnaces in the dead of winter, mold, flooding, broken windows, buckling floorboards, and other safety hazards. Simultaneously, tenants say they have experienced hidden fees and rising rents. They report signs of illness in their children due to poor housing conditions.
Tenants shared their stories at a press conference held on Wednesday, February 16th. Says Suncerray Mills, “My house is not just drafty. It feels like it’s been turned inside out…I would never advise anyone to rent from HavenBrook because of the way we’ve been treated.” Speaking directly to HavenBrook, she added, “We need you to step up. We need you to be accountable to what you’re doing to us and straighten it out. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, but right now! Today!”
Referring to mold in her house, Brianna Lofton explained, “I’ve been a HavenBrook tenant for almost two years. It’s harmed me and my family. I went to the emergency room with swollen lymph nodes. Three of my kids have sores. My baby has a severe fungal infection. It’s chewing up her scalp ... I’ve called the city, the health department, and I’ve been told they cannot test for mold. I took it upon myself to have a private contractor come out and test for the mold. There should be something in place for the future of Minnesota tenants to protect them and their families from mold. HavenBrook Homes should compensate us for living here for 2 years with mold.”
HavenBrook tenants are coming together to demand change. “I’m calling on HavenBrook Homes to meet with us tenants and fulfill our demands, to give us safe and dignified housing,” said Syvonne Perry.