HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND, August 11—Braving 99-degree heat, senior residents of Friendship Arms apartments held a spirited rally to demand that SHP Management Corporation (SHP) fix the roof, restore air conditioning and eradicate mice in the walls. Under capitalism safe housing is a dream for much of the working class particularly for some of the most vulnerable workers and super exploited sections of our class—disabled, retired, Black, Latin, Asian workers. Run down and unsafe housing is what the working class perpetually endures under a system where housing is a commodity to be bought and sold, and where landlords must provide as little maintenance as possible to maximize profits.
Criminal landlords rarely face consequences for subjecting workers to these tortuous living conditions. That’s because housing courts and government institutions like Housing and Urban Development (HUD) only exist to protect slumlords and to do their bidding. The Friendship Arms struggle further demonstrates that capitalism, not old age or disability, is the most debilitating force in the lives of all workers.
In October a fire damaged the roof of these apartments being overseen by HUD. For months the Tenants Organization has been demanding repairs through petitions and meetings with the management, but some displaced  residents are still living in hotels, while air conditioning of the common areas of the building remains broken. A Progressive Labor Party (PLP) member of Hyattsville Aging in Place (HAP) suggested taking the struggle to the next level and a friend from the building jumped on the idea and the rally was planned quickly. Never underestimate seniors!
Our PLP club mobilized in support of the rally, offered chants, creative posters, political leadership, and provided the bullhorn. But the residents led the event with chants such as “Ageism Means, We Have to Fight Back!” and a detailed speech about the failings of management to act on their demands. The Party would have preferred “Capitalism means we have to fight back!” Then the tenants went inside the building and continued chanting all around the first floor!
The rally was covered by the local press, Hyattsville Life and Times, and attended by representatives of the Prince George’s County Councilperson. We demanded that the Hyattsville City Council and the other politicians join in the demand to HUD and SHP to fix the problems immediately.
Capitalism lets workers free fall
Friendship Arms is owned and managed by SHP, a large landlord and HUD contractor. SHP has two properties in Maryland and both properties are in gross disrepair. The management contracting company has done a good job of ignoring the grievances of the buildings’ seniors and residents with disabilities. Nevertheless HUD is more culpable than SHP for these attacks. For decades the U.S. bosses strategy around the country has been to dismantle what little social safety net the working class counts on, and affordable subsidized and public housing has been high up on their hit list. While liberals blame the Donald Trump administration and his racist housing goon Ben Carson for destroying affordable housing, the latest assault on our housing follows former President Barack Obama era policies. Obama’s solution to fixing the nation’s aging housing stock was  privatization through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program (The Nation, 6/9/2015).
The RAD program defers government responsibility to private developers and contractors. When developers and banks take over properties, rents will eventually be dictated by market values and not on subsidized income guidelines based on one’s ability to pay, putting seniors at risk for eviction.This fate which has already befallen public housing in New York City. The New York City Housing authority (NYCHA), the largest publically funded and state managed housing  in North America, will eventually grip senior and disabled housing if workers don’t fight back. By contrast, communism, a moneyless system organized according to human need, not markets, commodities, or ability to pay, can truly provide safe, accessible, dignified housing to all workers. Communism will not need to create silly rights and so-called protections for workers based on age, race, ability, or gender because all these oppressive distinctions will be abolished.
Party leadership is key to building class consciousness
The organizing of this event was only possible because communists in PLP discussed the problem in their club and urged our comrade to raise the issue with her friend who is familiar with our ideas. Our role in sharpening the struggle was evident. Self-critically we should also have had one of our club members speak at the rally to call out capitalism and link this struggle to other tenant fights in the county.
One exemplary case is the year-long rent strike and lawsuit against the Arbor Realty Trust, Inc that is continuing in nearby Langley Park, a predominantly immigrant Latin community. Arbor owns Bedford Station and Victoria Station, two buildings infamous for poor living conditions, whose residents are fed up! Together the Arbor Realty and Friendship Arms struggles underscore the sheer inability of capitalists to provide both safe and accessible housing for the most vulnerable sections of the working class. Unifying tenant struggles in the region and linking them to broader fightbacks for safe housing is an important next step in this struggle to demolish this rotten system and build the foundation for communism: a system that truly prioritizes and meets our needs.