Current and past tenants of Hunter Properties, city officials, NIU students and faculty, two former DeKalb mayors and other concerned residents met at Fanatico, 1215 Blackhawk Road, to participate in the first meeting of the association.

The meeting provided information pertaining to tenant’s rights and functioned as an open forum for current tenants to share their experiences. Several tenants who spoke were divided between problems with their neighboring tenants and problems with the business’ management. Discussions from current residents in several Hunter Properties’ owned and operated buildings addressed both sides of the issue.

Halle Boddy, facilitator for the meeting and senior nonprofit studies major, defined a tenant association as the coming together of most, if not all, tenants to pressure their landlord. Boddy said the meeting was being held to give a push for Hunter Properties to provide services, make repairs and stop harassment.

“‘Why are we doing this? Because we want change, and as a social organizer, I want to support you as tenants and get you what you want,” Boddy said. “So, I’m going to help you with that.”

Dan Kenney, Annie Glidden North Revitalization community organizer, has played a role in working to get the Hunter Properties Tenant Association to come together to help improve the community. He said community members share concerns with each other because their problems affect each other.

“When you have a community, it’s all interconnected, and so what happens in one part of the community can have repercussions on the other part of the community,” Kenney said.

Kenney said although the efforts surrounding the Hunter Properties Tenant Association is not a part of the Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan, it plays a large role in the Plan’s effort to address the livability and safety of the area.

“In order for that to happen, the landlords and the property owners in this neighborhood have to do their share of maintaining their property up to code and maintaining their obligations to their tenants up to the code set by the law,” Kenney said.

The facilitators of the event invited Joseph Lovelace, director of the NIU Students’ Legal Assistance, to provide options and potential ways to begin documenting their concerns and interactions with management personnel. Lovelace said although his position in offering legal assistance is only free to students, he was able to answer specific questions pertaining to any of the tenants present.

“I think at the end of the day what we’re all really talking about is accountability,” Lovelace said.

Lovelace provided detail and background information surrounding common issues that arise between property owners and tenants: leases, maintenance and repairs, security deposits and eviction. Lovelace worked through each item and described certain actions tenants can take to legally cover themselves.

Several representatives from Hunter Properties were present, but declined to comment in response to the concerns addressed by tenants. Tracy Lindgren, property manager for DeKalb Hunter Properties, said she began working at Hunter Properties in January. She said she had no comments to make at this time, but attended the meeting to hear tenants’ concerns.

Attendees had the option to leave their phone numbers for future invitation to the association’s meetings — 39 people signed up upon arriving.

“Things fall apart when people aren’t being responsible and when landlords aren’t being responsible,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said.