Former Ocean tenants picket office of new landlord

Staff Reporter

Lily Belle Poling, Contributing Photographer

Members of the Quinnipiac Avenue Tenant Union picketed Thursday at Hammock Home Management’s office, claiming the new management company is a mere rebrand of former landlord Ocean Management.

Thursday’s picket followed the landlord turnover of the Quinnipiac Avenue apartment complex on Oct. 1. Two meetings between the Quinnipiac Avenue Tenant Union negotiating committee and their new landlord failed to result in any written agreement. 

Tenants at the Quinnipiac Avenue complex said their apartments are plagued by frequent leaks, sewage problems, mold, faulty appliances and a lack of heat. The union is seeking an agreement similar to the one negotiated between the Blake Street Tenants Union and Ocean concerning repairs, lease terms, rent and maintenance and communication standards.

“It’s a shame that I gotta bust my butt to pay rent and then look at my 9-year-old picking something from the store, and I have to tell her to put it back because I can’t afford it,” Richard Machuca, a tenant at Quinnipiac Avenue, said. “When we try to negotiate, it’s like dealing with little kids. We’re all humans, and we want a place to stay, but you [Hammock Home] don’t see us like that. You see us like money.”

Yohay Levram, the CEO of newly established Hammock Home Management, said Thursday’s picket was “a surprise” because “there’s really nothing on any level going on.” 

He said the property is “well-managed,” citing a superintendent who visits it daily and that his staff meet with tenants and listen to their requests “in good faith.” He added that he was not sure what issue warranted Thursday’s action and said there are currently no work orders open on the Quinnipiac Avenue property.

Machuca said he called for negotiations and for respect from their landlord on behalf of those who may be too scared to speak up. 

Luke Melonakos-Harrison, vice president of CT Tenants Union, said he hoped the new management company would honor the collectively bargained agreement to stabilize repairs that the Quinnipiac Avenue Tenant Union previously secured with Ocean Management in September. However, he said the new landlord has refused to agree to anything in writing and has not committed to addressing any of the tenants’ demands.

Ocean previously agreed to bargain in good faith with the Quinnipiac Avenue Tenant Union following a protest in early September. According to Melonakos-Harrison, meetings between the two parties had been moving toward a collectively bargained written agreement that would secure repairs for tenants until they were notified that their management was changing to Hammock Home.

Hope Vaughn, vice president of the Quinnipiac Avenue Tenant Union, said Hammock Home has not bargained in good faith and has not tried to “meet us halfway,” despite multiple hours-long meetings. Vaughn herself said she has experienced mold, mildew and even mushrooms growing out of the wall in her apartment.

As the tenants gathered to begin picketing, Hammock Home employees brought out a tray of pastries and hot coffee alongside a sign reading, “Hammock Home Management welcomes tenants of Quinnipiac and Eastern. Please enjoy coffee & danish.” Hannah Srajer, president of CT Tenants Union, a coalition of state tenants unions, replied, “We don’t take the boss’ shit.”

As they picketed, protestors chanted “Mold, mice, potholes, trash! What are you doing with our cash?” and “Hammock Home Hammock Home, don’t let us down, New Haven is a union town.” Ward 8 Alder Ellen Cupo stood in solidarity with the tenants at the protest. 

Picketing union members also accused Hammock Home of being a thinly veiled extension of Ocean. 

Yohay Levram, the CEO of the newly established Hammock Home Management, previously worked for Ocean Management. According to Melonakos-Harrison, Levram was the “second-in-command” at Ocean and participated in bargaining meetings with unions at other properties managed by Ocean. 

Levram told the News that Hammock Home has replaced Ocean in managing the Quinnipiac Avenue and Eastern Street properties and “is not associated with [Ocean] in any way, shape or form.” Levram added that Hammock Home and Ocean share no employees and manage properties owned by different interests.

Given that Levram was in the meetings between Ocean and the Blake Street Tenants Union that produced a collective bargaining agreement, Melonakos-Harrison feels that negotiating should not be “difficult” or “strange” for Levram.

At the end of the protest, Srajer said that the union would be back until Hammock Home agreed to bargain in good faith and that changing the name of the management company would not make them go away.

Quinnipiac Avenue Tenant Union represents properties at both 1279 Quinnipiac Ave. and 530 Eastern St.