PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia-area advocacy group called an emergency rally Tuesday in North Philly to stop what they call an illegal eviction by landlords who do not have a Philadelphia rental license, all to support a neighbor and her son.
Protesters and neighbors rallied in support of Sherice Bradham, who says her water was suddenly turned off more than two weeks ago despite paying her rent on time each month.
She said she reached out to her landlord to fix the problem, threatening to withhold her next rent payment.
“This is inhumane for me to be living with my son and [with] disabilities, with no water," Bradham said.
Renters United Philadelphia, an advocacy group, joined neighbors to stand by Bradham in what she calls the fight of her life.
“Sharice's landlord has shut off her water to illegally evict her, and we’re calling on the city, on the politicians like Cindy Bass to step in and come up with a solution,” said Renters United’s Ariel Morales.
Related
According to the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections, Bradham’s landlords, Vinh Dinh and Tony Tran, do not have a Philadelphia rental license.
They were given 30 days to address the issues. That deadline passed last Friday, and no repairs have been made.
Bradham says she’s done everything she could, including calling on politicians and the Fair Housing Commission for help, with no response until we sat down for an interview.
“The Fair Housing Commission just called me so she can open a formal complaint,” said Bradham. “I’m hoping for way more than that because I need my water.”
KYW Newsradio reached out to City Councilmember Cindy Bass’ office. A spokesperson said they are digging into the matter and hope to find a solution.
We also contacted Bradham’s landlords, but as of early Tuesday evening, we received no response.