Despite the cold, folks came out to the Bacon Retirement Home in Church Hill, Richmond, Virginia last month in support of seniors facing egregious living conditions which have been described by both residents and observers as slums. When I received the call from the Richmond Tenants Union, I and many others did our duty and joined up with independent organizers, affected seniors, and concerned citizens in marching up and down the property demanding better conditions.

Tenants at the Bacon Retirement home have a long list of concerns. They have not had hot water for over three months, with an absolutely apathetic management unwilling to provide any answers as to how this abominable condition is going to be resolved. There are ceilings caving in from burst pipes with quick fixes being used to cover up the problem, instead of addressing the issue of water leaks that are becoming more and more common throughout the complex. Residents on the first floor regularly report sewage coming up. All of these active concerns indicate poor water and piping structure in the building. Pests have also become a huge issue, as residents face continuous bed bug, flea, and roach infestations. Elevators are often out of order, which is an especially huge issue for seniors: the three-story building houses many disabled people.

One resident told us she had to wait over eight months to have her stove fixed. By that time, her cabinet also fell over, leaving her also without dishes. “I pray every night to come up with enough money to get up out of here,” she solemnly stated after explaining her living conditions.

Service requests go unanswered for months, sometimes years, with no real system of submitting grievances. There is no protocol or record-keeping for tenant complaints, and tenants have to trust that the property manager is truly making a note of their requests, with no receipt to back it up.

The daughter of one tenant contacted the 611 emergency line in December when her father expressed that he had no hot water or heat and was using his stove to warm the apartment. She was told there was nothing that could be done, as it is a privately-owned multi-family facility. Shortly after the call, management sent out a letter demanding tenants not use their stoves to heat their apartments, providing no alternative. Such are the horrific living conditions at the Bacon Retirement Home.

“I guess I’m an activist now — so much for retirement,” lamented one senior who we marched alongside. Those seniors who were marching with us showed great courage. Bacon Housing’s slumlords had already threatened retaliatory evictions for any senior who asked for better living conditions. Other marchers were also harassed. The complex’ private security arriving on the scene ran a stop sign, nearly striking a tenant and a child. They subsequently proceeded to steal the personal property of an activist in front of police officers, who themselves were circling the senior center in an attempt to intimidate us into dispersing. This quick response reinforces the cruelty of these slumlords: they are unable to address any tenant’s issues in a timely fashion, but within an hour they had their goons out to harass us and steal our property.

The next day, after a prolonged community effort to get in contact with Richmond City Council President Cynthia Newbille, we were informed that she would be holding a meeting at the retirement home at noon. We again turned out to support our neighbors. But when the meeting began, members of the tenant union and other community members were denied access. Management has already employed multiple threats to these seniors to intimidate them into silence. Then, they blocked our entry to further strip these seniors of their right to have representation present who cannot be threatened.

According to an email received by a fellow organizer from the council president, Newbille “met with residents of Nathaniel Bacon, the owner and manager … to hear resident issues/concerns and to obtain owner/manager plans to address them.” This would be a worthy goal, but those familiar with the way the Richmond City Council operates are skeptical that much will come of it, if anything, so it is important to keep the pressure on despite these alleged promises.

Mayor Avula, who grew up in Church Hill, hired a company to look into the matter which issued a report, but it remains a question whether anything will be done to address the issues.

It has been said that the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. The Richmond Tenants Union and other independent activists understand this, and we will continue fighting for our most vulnerable community members. Richmond police and the slumlords ruling Bacon Retirement Homes seem to either not care about the harm they are causing, or are complicit in it. Both are disgusting outcomes and symptoms of a deeper problem. The profit-driven system of capitalism rewards apathetic and incompetent careerists who have little regard for the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.

Therefore, we must keep up constant pressure and assist these seniors in their organizing efforts to unionize their apartments and to have a system for defending themselves.

How you can help:

• Contact Cynthia Newbille and demand that she keep her word: 804-646-3012 | cynthia.newbille@rva.gov
• Contact the Mayor’s office to demand action: 804-646-7970 | RVAMayor@rva.gov
• Contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development and demand they investigate Bacon Retirement Community: 800-842-2610

Image: CPUSA Virginia

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