By David Sterling, Iowa City
Our house is on fire. Every day people have their security deposits stolen, struggle through the dangers of homes in disrepair, and even become priced out of the city. Many have no homes at all, while perfectly fine units sit empty. The fire I speak of is the ever-escalating threat of a housing crisis that has been manufactured by predatory property managers, and how Feb. 4 and March 4 are chances for us to help put it out.
Despite their best intentions, our City Council doesn’t have enough members who understand the depth of the problem needed to solve it. Too many are sitting comfortable in homes safe from the flames, convinced the blaze will grow slowly enough that we can get by with fire extinguishers and insulation.
Oliver Weilein, running for District C, has personal experience fighting this fire. To him, it is not only obvious that a fire hose is more useful, he’s actually used one.
As I last wrote regarding the now-elected Johnson County Supervisor Mandi Remington, Oliver is that rare sort of candidate who has actually put their boots on the ground to combat the issues ordinary citizens face. A founding member of the Iowa City Tenants Union, he helped organize successful fundraising and door-to-door aid, and raised social pressure to stop the abusive practices renters face.
All this during a historically fractured moment of American society known as the COVID-19 pandemic. Not even the winter stopped him.
With the urgency of flames bearing down upon us, the majority opinion on the City Council is that we can fight an inferno with glasses of water. The opposing opinion is held by those already getting burned, and that includes Oliver. They believe that the issue is property managers pouring gasoline on the flames.
We can see the consequences of ignoring this cause: the fire is still here. The blaze spreads faster than we can rebuild, too; every year we lose long-time residents as space is cleared to capitalize on the student population. We can try to weed out the worst business and property owners in town, but giving money to the best hasn’t saved us from the rest.
Rather than dividing our house by prioritizing these fire-starters, we need to unify the house by rising above our manufactured divisions. Working people must be given their seats at the table.
We have an opportunity on Feb. 4 and March 4. We can vote for a candidate who understands the urgency of the situation, and has the experience to lead us toward a sustainable future. Oliver Weilien’s platform embodies the strategies we need to put out this fire once and for all.
