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Northwest Bronx tenant organizers describe victory over landlord and organizing model
Summary
Representatives of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition described forming a tenant association after a 2008 fire, said landlord Steve Finkelstein failed to complete promised repairs after buying the building around 2011, and outlined tactics—door-knocking, monthly meetings and coalition support—that led to a recent victory in taking control of the building.
Representatives of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition told Bronx Talk they formed a tenant association in 2009 after a 2008 fire and organized for years to address habitability and rent hikes.
A coalition representative said tenant organizing began with neighbors meeting monthly and receiving support from faith-based groups. "We formed the tenant association back in 2009," the representative said, describing door-knocking, facilitated meetings and the technical assistance provided by Norfolk Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition.
The tenant representative recounted that when landlord Steve Finkelstein bought the building (around 2011) he promised repairs; they said much of the later work was shoddy and that rent increases began in 2018. The speakers described helping other buildings form tenant associations, tracking building violations and using organized tenant pressure to secure control and repairs.
Why it matters: The account provides a concrete example of long-term tenant organizing in the Bronx—an organizing model neighborhood groups could replicate—and identifies a named landlord, Steve Finkelstein, as central to the dispute as described by tenants. The segment did not include a statement from the landlord or a legal-file citation.
Details and limits: Organizers described tactics (monthly meetings, door-knocking, coalition support) and a timeline of damage, repairs and rent increases; they said the association worked with clergy and local groups to sustain organizing. The segment did not provide court-case identifiers, settlement terms, or financial reparations.
Next steps: Organizers suggested their methods could be duplicated for other tenants facing substandard housing; no formal city action or legal filings were specified in the broadcast.
