YEAR: 1932New York City Rent Strike War
At the peak of the Great Depression, which saw the working class across the country face destitution and misery, the Communist Party of the United States was on the frontlines in defending and organizing workers. In New York City, the CP established “Unemployed Councils” to organize unemployed workers during this period. They organized actions at relief offices to demand more assistance and are perhaps most well known for their resistance to evictions, mobilizing huge crowds and rapid response “flying squads” to physically stop evictions and quickly move evicted tenants’ furniture back into their apartments.
In the Bronx, in January 1932, the Upper Bronx Unemployed Council launched rent strikes at three buildings in Bronx Park East – 1890 Unionport Road, 2302 Olinville Avenue, and 665 Allerton Avenue – where tenants withheld rent and picketed for a 15% rent reduction, apartment repairs, an end to evictions, and recognition of tenant committees as bargaining agents.
Landlords responded to the strikes by trying to evict strike leaders, which only angered people even more. The first attempted eviction at 2302 Olinville Avenue set off a large-scale confrontation between the authorities and thousands of tenants and organizers. By the end of the day, they reached a negotiated settlement of a rent reduction and the reinstatement of evicted families. The rent strikes were repeated at other buildings in other boroughs across New York City.
