Watch: Jenny Lind Hall Tenant Union meets Springfield Mayor Schrag at the bargaining table

For the first time, Jenny Lind Hall Tenant Union and Springfield Mayor Jeff Schrag met at the bargaining table on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Over the past two years, Jenny Lind Hall tenants have been forced to endure two broken elevators due to the negligence of infamous slumlord Millennia Properties, meaning that elderly and disabled residents have had no choice but to climb up to six floors just to enter their homes.

While one of the elevators has finally been repaired after 18+ months of public pressure led by STUN, residents are continuing to face inhumane living conditions including insufficient central heating in the depths of winter,  water breaks, rampant pest infestations, sidewalks in disrepair, and empty promises from the city to secure a new, local property owner. The need for proactive solutions is dire, as multiple tenants have already needlessly lost their lives waiting for intervention from Millennia and city officials.

Along with demands to address these issues, Jenny Lind Hall tenants are using their stories to push for a citywide rental licensing and inspection program that would ensure no other tenant experiences these life-threatening circumstances at hands of greedy slumlords.  

Mayor Schrag agreed to follow up with Jenny Lind Hall tenants to fully address their demands by Tuesday, Feb. 24 at latest. As of the time of this post, there has been limited correspondence from the city with no real solutions being proposed, and future actions for the tenants are being planned.

Video shot and edited by Isaac Protiva