Members of the Peoples Housing Project gathered in front of Albuquerque City Hall recently, challenging the rise in rent prices.
The protesters want city councilors and Mayor Tom Keller to pass a resolution requesting state lawmakers to end the prohibition of rent control in the upcoming legislative session, according to KRQE.
Danger Varoz attended the event. Varoz told KRQE that he and his family were forced to leave their apartment in the city after his rent increased by nearly $500.
"Honestly, I broke down and cried right there in the [leasing] office, and I begged him to make a deal with me – to cut it in half because I can’t move right now," Varoz said. "I'm about to start my semester in school. My kid's about to start his semester. I can't afford to do this right now."
Varoz said he had to look for other housing when his rent went up from $825 to $1,300 per month within a few weeks.
"You get hit with this extra $500 in expenses every month and you can't handle it," he said. "All of a sudden, I'm making decisions on whether or not we can eat [and] which credit card bills I can pay."
The Peoples Housing Project is a grassroots community organization that provides emergency shelter and support services to people who are homeless. Leaders of the group would like to see several changes in the way apartment rentals are conducted. This includes rent not exceeding a small fraction of a person's income, banning landlords from using criminal background checks, and screening applicants based on evictions, debt, and credit, KRQE reported.
Anna Lee DeSaulniers, an organizer with the Peoples Housing Project, said City Hall was targeted because it represents the citizens of Albuquerque.
"It is an Albuquerque-concentrated issue, so in that way, you know, the people want rent control, and the councilors are tasked with representing the people in their districts," she said. "They need to have our back and we'll have theirs."
Varoz found a new apartment but is concerned that his rent could be raised again without notice.
"I'm absolutely concerned about what's going to happen to me in like, the next month, the next year," he said. "How am I going to keep feeding my family? How am I going to keep feeding myself, especially if my new landlords decided to raise the rent another $500, which they're legally allowed to do?"
For more information about the Peoples Housing Project's demands, visit the organization's Facebook page.
