I was just called by an apartment manager who manages the apartment that some of my refugee friends live in. Generally speaking, the managment is "okay". They respond sort of quickly to some things, but only when I call, or when the Burmese family in the building calls and says "I am going to call the police if you don't fix my toilet right now!"
They own another building near by, also full of refugees- I don't really know these families so well, but from time to time I receive calls from the apartment manager for them as well, though they know full well that I am not with any sort of angency that assumes responsibility for the livelyhood of these familes. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy to help any of the refugee families in either building communicate well with their apartment manager, especially on the family's side of things. What irritates me is that the manager, who I think at heart is a good person, has the attitude of "these people" and in a way treats them less than people. She calls me kind of often- about silly things that she really should just deal with. Everytime she calls me with an issue she tells me- I keep calling World Relief, they are supposed to help me with "these people"
My 1st question to you, apartment manager who shall remain nameless, is, at what point do people stop being "World Relief clients" and become your tenants? Some of "these people" have been her for over 2 years. They have been good tenants, paying their rent on time, telling you when there is a problem in the apartment, working through the issues that your neglect of the property has caused- and generally with a good attitude ( "I am going to call the police if you don't... family" aside)
You are blessed to have Karen people living in your building.
Let us not forget the Com Ed incident in which 3 families were paying 75/ month for electricity because you would not make the effort to let the ComEd guy in the building to read the meters. For 7 months! A year and a half later they are still being reimbursed by ComEd (a little justice!Thank you!) However, at the time of this incident these hardworking men were being paid $7/hr and only working 30 hours, being new to the country.They were hiding in their dark apartments hoping that their efforts at energy conservation would being some relief to their tight financial situation!
My second questions to you are - since when does renting an apartment to someone qualify as charity? Why do apartment managers feel a sense of entitlement because they rent to refugees? Now granted, there are some refugee populations with no experience of home care and no one to really show them the ropes. Consequently apartments are not well cared for. This is not the the case in our situation. Yes, yes, we really appreciate your willingness to take that initial risk of renting to a new refugee family with no credit, no income and no background in the U.S. I appreciate the risk involved to renting to a new family. However, how long do you get to "claim" that.
Renting an apartment to a refugee family is not an act of charity (which, by the way, since when does charity bring entitlement?) beyond that initial risk. It is a business transaction. My landlord never acts like she is doing me a favor by renting me an apartment. She wants rent. If I give her rent, she takes it and I live another month in my apartment. I know there are some managers who do continue to extend grace and hospitality to refugee families, going above and beyond the call- this is not that sort of situation.
So the call I recieved today was from said unnamed apartment manager concering the heat in the "other building". It is off, something is broken and cannot be fixed until Monday. She has tried to call World Relief to get them to talk to "these people"- but no one is able to help her. Some of the tenants in that building are new, but half of them have been there upwards of a year. She calls for my help in telling them they won't have heat all weekend.
Me: I don't really know them and won't be in the area til tomorrow (yes, a little unhelpful, but I want to encourage you to problem solve) Do you have a number for anyone in the building?
Her: well... yeah, but they don't speak English (um, I don't speak Vietnamese, Arabic or Burmese)
Me: well, pretty much half of your building is Chin and half is Vietnamese. Apt 1 and 2 (shoot and 5 for that matter, now that I think about it) all speak English pretty well and are Chin. Apartment 4 has a teenaged daughter who can speak English and is Vietnamese( I suppose this blows a hole in my " I don't really know them" statement. I really don't! I just know who they are)- maybe you can call those apartments and between them they can get the message out and begin to work on a plan to stay warm. ( You know, kind of like you would have done if they spoke English, Oh wait! They do! Marvelous)
Her: Well, it's 40 degrees, its not THAT cold
Me: That's pretty cold if you are from southeast Asia (c'mon woman, thats cold to live in if you are from America! It's not like you are asking them to walk outside to their car in 40 degrees, you are asking them to live in it for 3 days.I'd like to see you live in 40 degrees for 3 days!)
Her: Well we can't do anything about it, they can't fix it until Monday.
Me: Hmm, well do you have space heaters they can use? I know some other managers have been able to provide this in this sort of situation.
Her No, we don't do that.
Me: Oh..(intentional awkward silence) well you can call me back if you are unable to get the message to them and at least I can try to stop by and talk to them (ooh, there's an idea! How 'bout you do that! Imagine meeting your tenants! Your office is closer than my apartment! Maybe they would be real people then.) tomorrow.
Her: Well thank you so much! I will call those apartments you suggested!
Of course I called my friends in the neighboring building immediately and told them the sitaution. I asked them to let the families know and gave an indirect ask for my friends to lend the "other building" some space heaters. So I guess the womans motives in calling me were fruitful, but still have a little respect. These are good people and good tenants. They are worth you time and efforts- more than you know.
