The evictions mark a new stage in the tenants' struggle against multimillionaire landlord Morton Sarubin and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which subsidizes the property.

While Sarubin and HUD claim to be providing low-cost quality housing for the overwhelmingly Black tenants of the 989-unit complex, tenants told the real story.

When asked about the quality of the apartments, one woman laughed and said, "Quality? sure. We've got quality leaky roofs, quality overflowing trash cans and quality cockroaches."

The rent strike began in May, when Sarubin announced an 18 percent rent increase, half of which was to be paid for by the tenants and half by HUD. Tired of continual rent hikes and poor maintenance, the tenants formed the Uplands Tenants Association (UTA) and voted to withhold their May rents. More than 500 participated in the strike.

Under this pressure, Sarubin agreed to many of the tenants' demands and the strike was ended. But when he failed to live up to the agreement, the tenants went back on strike in June. Sarubin's response was the brutal evictions.

Sarubin is currently under investigation by a federal grand jury for his connections with [Vice President] Spiro Agnew. It is suspected that Agnew was the key to Sarubin's ability to obtain HUD funds.

 
 
July 31, 1950
NEW YORK, July 25--The New York State Committee of the Socialist Workers Party today announced the date when its election petition campaign will open and the fact that it has placed Arthur Preis, Labor Editor of The Militant, in nomination for the office of Attorney General.

With the nomination of Preis, the party is now contesting all five statewide offices in this year's election. The other candidates are Joseph Hansen for U.S. Senator, Michael Bartell for Governor, Gladys Barker for Lieutenant-Governor, and Harry Ring for Comptroller.

Collection of the petitions to qualify the SWP for a place on the state ballot will begin on Sat., July 29. The New York laws are designed to make it extremely difficult for minority parties and independent candidates to obtain a position on the ballot. In order to be certified, minority parties must secure at least 12,000 valid petitions, with a minimum of 50 from each of the 62 counties in the state, except one.

On this point the SWP committee said: "The membership of our party is fully determined that we shall have a place on the ballot this year, so that the workers of New York State will have the opportunity to cast their votes for a program of opposition to capitalism and its imminent threat of atomic destruction. We will get the required number of signatures, and will in fact demonstrate the attractiveness of our socialist program by obtaining double the required number."