Statement: Continuation of LTO Evictions
On Monday, the city plans to allow the Landlord Tenant Office to resume evictions despite the terror they’ve brought to working class Philadelphians with their violent evictions that led to the shootings of Angel Davis and Latese Bethea. The new training protocols and procedures they plan to enact do not change the fact that the LTO is an outsourced, and therefore unaccountable, mercenary-like syndicate whose sole objective is to protect the monied interests of the real estate industry. Corporate landlords and developers, which are ever expanding in our city, have placed many Philadelphians in a near impossible situation: pay exorbitant amounts in rent for housing or risk having armed hitmen (the LTOs) show up to your home and violently remove you. The reality is, 54% of renters in Philly are cost-burdened. Meaning that 54% of renters are at risk of being shot by an LTO officer for not being able to afford rent.
This extremely shameful practice is not only morally abhorrent, it’s anti-working class. The Philadelphia Young Communist League believes that the city’s usage of unaccountable LTOs is utterly undemocratic. The eviction moratorium should be extended and the city should formulate a plan to phase them out. Housing is a human right and we will continue to fight for low cost/no cost housing in our city.
Mass Work Commission, Philadelphia Young Communist League