Southern Towers tenants charge landlord with exploitive practices
Despite numerous complaints, criticism by members of Congress, and negative press, tenants say CIM Group is continuing to allow poor conditions at Southern Towers.
African Communities Together (ACT), Tenants and Workers United, tenants, community partners, and faith leaders staged a protest Aug. 29 on the third anniversary of CIM Group’s purchase of the five-building apartment complex on Seminary Road in Alexandria’s West End.
ACT charges the landlord is exploiting tenants by raising the rent, increasing eviction filings, and failing to address a growing number of maintenance problems. Many tenants suffered through one of the hottest summers on record with broken air conditioning.
Southern Towers has been home to generations of immigrant and working families. Tenants have been complaining about unresponsive management and exploitative practices for years. CIM had promised to make improvements, but the tenants say the problems are continuing.
Related story: Sens. Warner and Kaine condemn Southern Towers owner for predatory practices
The Aug. 29 event began with prayers from Sudanese Imam Saadan Abdelrahman and Ethiopian priest Addisu Lakew.
Tenants then marched across the I-395 overpass with signs calling on the City of Alexandria to step up the pressure against CIM Group.
ACT Community Organizer Saba Fentaw, a former Southern Towers resident, led the intergenerational group in a call and response litany that began with a prayer for the homeless and continued with the tenants chanting, “All people deserve safe and affordable housing.”
“We’re remembering three years of fighting back,” said Bert Bayou, national organizing director at ACT. “Even though CIM wanted our community to leave this building, we’re still here … even with all the eviction filings, with all the increases in rent and utility bills, we’re still here.”
Related story: Property owners on Beauregard Street have big plans for redevelopment
Tenant leader Tsehiynesh Meberu said residents will continue to fight for their rights at the complex.
Meberu’s message to CIM: “Do not think that we are all running away. This building is our home. We are going to stay here and organize.”
CASA de Maryland, YIMBY, and the NOVA Labor Federation also participated in the protest.
Tricky balancing act but ultimately the signed lease is the decider. Which side is in violation?
That place is so dirty I lived there for 6 years ,the garbage smells so bad ,we have so many roaches and rats running in apartment we told them but they did not do nothing they are nasty people, after we left they did not return our deposit, and send the letter asking us to pay them $1.300 to pay them they are thief..
Affordable housing is not even an American right, let alone a human right.
Doesn’t say it’s a right in the article
For the record, you are wrong.
Where is it in the constitution? Which clause or amendment? Is affordable housing in the VA state constitution? Is there a federal or state law that says everyone has a right to affordable housing? I’ve never seen or found such a right. The lease (contract) between tenant and landlord governs here. If violated then take to court.
Southern Towers are not the only property that the tenants are facing maintenance problems and Landlord problems. A lot of properties throughout Alexandria, VA are experiencing problems with their landlords. They are either not available, have different times when they are going to lunch, when concerns are raised, they take weeks to take action. I have a family friend who had to move out of Mount Vernon Apartments due to poor conditioning of the apartments. They had black mold, bathroom sink was rusted, mice issues and other safety and health issues in which the apartment was not in suitable conditions to stay. They have pictures. So what are residents expect when these properties charge so high for rent costs, but cannot have proper managers or maintenance to take care of these issues. If they was to do a state wide monthly State Health Department checks, a lot of these building would shut down due to code. Furthermore, they need more of State inspections for all residential apartment buildings. The inspections taking place for permits and making sure all of plumbing and electrical are working is not being verified correctly through the property managements. I can name a whole list of apartment complexes that needs to change and have not changed anything since 20 plus years ago.
Would you mind me asking what complexes you believe need to make changes? I just wanna know more
Sell the building to the tenants – lets see if that works out – just a suggestion – make it a co-op
Haha they’d run it into the ground just like every other place on earth.
Agree fully, lets abolish zoning and allow for so many more housing types and greater density while making areas more walkable!
Unfortunately Southern Towers have become another ghetto like Culmore, and none of our elected officials can do anything. Rather they don’t want to do anything. There is a bunch of new apartments coming on line in Mason. Let the free market reign. Break your leases and move for the landlords have not met their end of your lease contract. These landlords are nothing but capitalist pigs and should choke to death on their caniblal habits. Round them up and send these SOBs to Africa to get a taste of the Wagner Group.
CIM Group has long been a proud member of the Alexandria, VA community as the owner and operator of several properties, including Southern Towers where the firm took over operations in 2020. It was immediately clear to Southern Towers Management that they needed to address years of deferred maintenance and make important quality-of-life improvements to the development including long-overdue roof replacements; renovation of apartments, corridors, and common areas; resurfacing parking areas and tennis courts; new playgrounds and much more.
While Southern Towers is not an affordable housing community, CIM Group has worked diligently to keep rent 20% below comparable properties in Alexandria, while at the same time, making significant improvements to the habitability of Southern Towers. Residents have always paid a portion of their utilities and continue to be responsible for the costs they incur.
Southern Towers Management has never violated the CARES Act or any local, state or Federal laws. In fact, CIM Group is legally required to utilize a form provided by the State of Virginia–referred to as a 5-Day Notice–to notify residents when they are in arrears. CIM Group has no control over the language used in the form and any call for modifications should be directed to the State of Virginia.
Despite much disinformation, Southern Towers Management will not be deterred from their commitment to the community they serve, their legal obligation and the fiduciary duty the company has to investors who have also helped improve the living conditions at Southern Towers from what existed prior to CIM Group’s ownership.
CIM Group has made significant improvements for the overall wellbeing of the residents at Southern Towers, including:
1. Providing assistance during the pandemic to residents who suffered financial setbacks that resulted in more than $5 million in rental assistance secured for hundreds of families.
2. Increasing the level of regular maintenance well beyond what was the norm under the prior owner by 96%, which is more than $8.2M to address significant deferred maintenance issues.
3. Instituting an online resident portal that provides transparent and open communication, as well as a seamless way for residents to submit work orders, which expedites necessary repair and maintenance.
4. Prioritizing community involvement by organizing farmers markets, job fairs, food drives, and vaccination clinics.
5. Engaging residents in a transparent and ongoing way by holding monthly meetings and appreciation events, as well as communicating important dates and information in the resident portal, as well as the weekly and monthly newsletters.
6. Taking on many infrastructure development initiatives including:
Fostering a secure and healthy environment by:
1. Installing security cameras in each elevator landing in each tower and upgrading cameras on the lobby level in each tower. The entire project is anticipated to be completed by the end of July 2024.
1. Upgrading all smoke detectors and replacing every unit on the campus with smoke detector/CO2 combo units.
2. Repairing the retaining wall near the Ashlawn.
3. Installing Flock Security – license plate reading cameras installed at each entrance to the property.
4. Upgrading the fire alarm panel at Sherwood.
5. Purchasing a new Jeep for patrolling the campus.
6. Performing a thorough Pest Control inspection and preventative treatments of all common areas and every apartment home as well as sealing of any holes found during the inspection.
Making material upgrades to improve the quality of living at Southern Towers:
1. Making significant laundry room upgrades, including purchasing new washer and dryer equipment for each floor at every building. The new equipment also included upgraded payment panel allowing residents the option to use cash, credit/debit cards or an app to pay for service.
2. Enhancing and upgrading the dog park.
3. Tennis Court resurfacing, striping and new nets. Upgrade also included replacing the solo player wall.
4. Resurfacing the overflow parking area.
5. Asphalt resurfacing at Beauregard entrance near The Graham and Monticello.
6. Replacing all of the playground equipment.
7. Beautifying the property including removing 26 dead or rotting trees from the campus and pruned trees in the community park to raise tree canopy by 3 feet, allowing better sight lines.
8. Replacing 4 outdoor gas grills at Graham.
9. Installing new grilling areas throughout the community park.
10. Expanding concrete pads at grilling areas which include new accessible seating.
11. Installing a new pergola over the grilling area closest to the Monticello pool.
12. Complete resurfacing of the Monticello main and small pools.
13. HVAC convector project completed at the Sherwood.
14. HVAC system inspections completed across the campus.
15. Window and Balcony door mock-ups completed at Ashlawn and Monticello. Each building scheduled for full window replacement to begin in Q4 2023.
Wow. That’s a lot of good stuff.
Wow. Take a breath before you hurt yourself, JTR.
For the Record said:
“Affordable housing is not even an American right, let alone a human right.”
They’re correct that it is not a legal right according to U.S. federal law. (I never said it was.) However, housing for families is a legal right in Massachusetts, and a legal right for runaway children in California. In New York, emergency shelter is a legal right.
As a human right, adequate housing was recognized as part of the right to an adequate standard of living in article 25 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in article 11.1 of the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It features traits such as protection from harm and hazards (including excessive heat and cold), availability of services and habitability (safe water, sanitation, disposal of refuse, etc.), and security of tenure (legal protection against forced evictions, harassment, and discrimination), among others. The United Nations clarified such characteristics in 1991 and 1997.
The constitutions of other nations (such as France, Scotland, and South Africa), The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights have recognized the right to adequate housing and shelter. The United States has actually signed at least some of these agreements.
I would like to know how much the rent is for the apartments. This area is expensive.
They just announced that my mother’s rent for an efficiency will be renewed at a cost of $1433. An 8% increase. Too bad she doesn’t get an 8% increase in her social security check that she relies on.