P.A.'L.A.N.T.E. Harlem began informally in September 2006 when nearly 100 community residents, living in three dilapidated buildings in Harlem, banded together to form a tenant association to address the neglect and property abandonment at the hands of their landlord. We succeeded in achieving the first tenant-initiated 7A transfer in eight years.

Since its inception in 2008 and with a mostly volunteer staff, P.A.'L.A.N.T.E. Harlem has evolved from a tenant association to a sophisticated 501 (c)(3) tenant advocacy community-based organization.

Why P.A.'L.A.N.T.E. Harlem?

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Rats. Toxic mold. Bedbugs. Collapsed ceilings. Peeling lead paint. Leaking pipes and backed-up sewers. More than 2,500 health and building code violations in all. That was the reality facing the 70+ families living in three buildings on 225 and 235 W. 146th Street and 301 W. 141st Street a little more than three years ago. It’s become an old story in this City—greedy slumlords letting their buildings fall apart so that discouraged rent-regulated tenants give up and abandon their homes. When the building empties out, the landlord renovates and then charges sky-high market rates to the new tenants.

Not this time! In September of 2006, the tenants of those three buildings banded together to fight back against their landlord and assert their rights to live in safe, functional, and affordable housing.

In It for The Long Haul

What the tenants didn’t know at the time was they had a long fight on their hands. They took their landlord to court for both immediate repairs and to fight for inclusion in the City’s 7A Administrative program. This program, which had been granted to only 37 other buildings citywide, removes the landlord from management control and sets up a system where the landlord is billed for costs of repairing and managing the property. After countless days in court and numerous delaying tactics, the landlord was stripped of his management rights, a 7A Administrator was installed and now all three building are fully rehabilitated and owned by a different owner.

What’s Next?

As uplifting as this story is, the sad fact is landlords usually win these battles. Our community residents need to continue to learn of their tenancy rights, organize, and send a powerful message to unresponsive landlords to ultimately force them to change their poor business practices. Your support will help further our mission.

Chameleon 1492 , 30”x 22”– Painting by Scherezade Garcia