Northwest Philadelphia is home to many historic apartment buildings, grand in scale and design, mixing with the steady stream of modern buildings sprouting up. Yet, in some instances, their external beauty distracts from deteriorating conditions inside.

And now, a growing group of tenant advocates is working to do something about it. 

They held their most recent meeting Nov. 19, at First United Methodist Church of Germantown, where dozens of local tenants shared stories of deteriorating buildings, pest infestations and unresponsive landlords. Working in small groups, they learned about their legal rights and received resource guides connecting them to legal aid and housing inspection services - part of a growing grassroots effort to help renters advocate for better living conditions across Northwest Philadelphia.

“This is not an anti-landlord movement, it’s a tenant support group,” said Jo Winter, executive director of West Mt. Airy Neighbors. “A lot of the issues are very common: issues with lead, issues with pests, issues with maintenance, intimidation tactics utilized by management companies or property owners. So if you're facing that, what can you do? What are your rights?” 

The group got its start two years ago, when conditions at Mt. Airy's Cresheim Valley Apartments got so bad residents banded together to take legal action against the owner. Since 2020, the building had accumulated 33 violations issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), which have been resolved by the owner. 

Their work led to Attorney General Michelle Henry announcing the filing of a civil lawsuit in 2023, alleging widespread negligence and retaliatory behaviors by the owner and management of the Cresheim Valley Apartments, SBG Management. 

They also caught the attention of Winter and Steve Kendall, WMAN’s board president. It was during the 2023 primary race, and their civic group had just hosted an eighth district forum between City Councilmember Cindy Bass and Seth Anderson-Oberman. They had money leftover – and decided to use it to host a tenant’s forum. 

“I think that first meeting, at Grace Baptist Church, where we typically meet, had over 100 people,” Winter told the Local. “The horror stories that tenants were telling, there was no way that we couldn't do something, or at least try to do something, or at least try to partner with the tenants and empower them towards some sort of action or support.”

The main goal of the group, led by WMAN, East Mount Airy Neighbors and local advocates, is to help people understand their rights as tenants and connect them with available resources. 

Winter, who is now working to establish a consistent meeting schedule and spread the word, said “Outreach has been very difficult.” 

Winter said she’s been distributing flyers at apartment buildings across Northwest Philadelphia – and that in most cases, building management has removed them immediately. 

At one building, Winter said, management chased her away while she was standing on a public walkway. At another, management removed the flyers off car windows on a public road.

“We don't have a robust budget for the initiative, but it is going to be a priority for WMAN in 2025. So we'll be finding affordable space where we can meet monthly.” Winter said. “I'm hoping that we can expand the outreach, bring in more resources, and try to have a guest (advocacy group) every month. Right now we just have the tenant emergency sheet, the tenant resource sheet.” 

Winter said organizing is also difficult because many tenants don’t have the time, or are afraid of retaliation by landlords and management companies, especially when their access to housing is on the line. 

“I also see the past couple of years that more and more of our large buildings seem to be owned by owners out of state, they’re being bought by owners who are not from the community, who aren’t here all the time to see what’s going on,” Winter said. “Management companies are managing multiple large properties across the Northwest, and there doesn't seem to be either the ability or the desire for anybody to check on what’s happening.” 

While the structure and functions of the group are still evolving, Winter said, WMAN is asking anyone who can to reach out and get involved. 

“This is such an important issue, and we need more people paying attention,” Kendall said.

Those interested in attending future meetings can follow WMAN on Instagram at @westmtairyneighbors or email Winter directly at josephine.winter@wman.net.