Dorri Partain
Managing Editor

To represent the variety of tenants— and the issues they are facing— a recent KC Tenants rally started with chants in three languages: English, Spanish and Burmese.

On Wednesday, May 13, members of the North Lawn Tenant Union were joined by members of KC Tenants and Indian Mound neighbors to bring awareness of living conditions in the Gladstone Court, Abington Court, and Burge apartments. This tenant union was formed in 2023 from residents living in the multi-family building at 135-137 N. Lawn Ave., who originally lived across the street in units addressed 118-148 and has expanded to include 94% of all tenants currently living in these three apartment buildings.

These buildings have a long history of maintenance issues and broken promises from the owner, Yisroel Levovitz of Wiser KC LLC, based in Lakewood, New Jersey. Levovitz owns two other properties in Northeast: 101 N. Indiana and 3502 Roberts avenues. Both properties are vacant.

According to a statement from KC Tenants— a citywide tenant union led by a multigenerational, multiracial, anti-racist base of poor and working class tenants, according to its website— North Lawn tenants battle pests (mice, roaches, bedbugs), general lack of maintenance, and unsecured exterior doors. Many tenants have not had working heat for years, some tenants have sewage in their basement, while others sleep in the hallway when it rains due to ceiling leaks.

During the May 13 rally, approximately 80 participants held signs and chanted “Not one cent for the slumlord” in English, “El barrio no se vende (The neighborhood is not for sale)” in Spanish, and “Ma twa bu (We won’t go)” in Burmese.

Three tenants stepped up to share their stories, assisted by KC Tenant organizer Mary Allison Joseph to provide translation.

“This home should be a safe place for my wife and me. Every time something is wrong, I report it over and over again, and I end up fixing it myself,” said Artemio Barrera,  resident of the Burge building. “We’ve invited our neighbors across the street to join us, and in just two weeks, we more than tripled the size of our union. Yisroel, our homes are not your investment. I’ll see you at the bargaining table.” (Translated from Spanish.)

A Naing is a Burmese native caring for his parents who described how living conditions are affecting his family’s health.

“My dad is blind, and my mom has cancer and breathing problems. The vent over our stove doesn’t work. Every day when I cook, my mom can’t breathe and has to leave our apartment. We have now gone more than two weeks without hot water, and I have to boil water for my parents just to bathe. That’s not right,” Naing said.

Luna Nelson-Cerna described how tenants have come together and watch out for each other.

“We know our neighbors. We talk out back just about every day, and the kids all play together. For us, it’s about stability. We want safe, healthy, affordable places to live. But Yisroel has never provided that,” said Nelson-Cerna. “The strength of our union is a testament to how determined my neighbors and I are—and how bad the conditions are. Yisroel thinks he can take his money and run, but he better think again.” 

In a final statement, Nelson-Cerna announced the North Lawn Tenants Union was demanding Levovitz to meet with them, with a deadline of 5 p.m., Friday, May 15.

In addition to various maintenance issues, tenants on North Lawn face rent instability. Based on negotiations dating to April 2023, eight tenants living in the Burge building received rent assistance and paid $400 per month, while the remaining four paid $700 or more. This funding agreement ended on Feb. 28, 2026, and tenants could face a tripling of the amount due per month.

Tenants at Abington Court (118-132 N. Lawn) and Gladstone Court (132-148) pay $1200 per month. Of the 60 units available among the three buildings, nearly more than half are vacant, with units addressed 146-148 N. Lawn condemned, according to information provided by KC Tenants.

Supporters at this rally included 6th District City Council members Andrea Bough and Jonathan Duncan. Duncan stated that he had attended the 2023 tenant rally which later provided rent protection and city rent assistance for North Lawn tenants.

“I’m proud of these tenants,” Duncan told The Northeast News. “I think the power belongs to the people and that landlords, such as Yisroel, who are trying to flip this place, playing games with people’s lives, that’s not right.”

“I’m proud of what the City has done to intervene, to protect and stabilize the rents for these units but there’s more that can be done. I’m a true believer of municipal social housing- that’s housing that’s off the market that’s publicly-backed- that’s not subject to the whims of a developer or landlord that just wants to make a quick buck off the backs of immigrants, who mostly make up the tenants here on North Lawn,“ said Councilman Duncan.

According to information provided by KC Tenants, Levovitz purchased these North Lawn buildings in January 2023 for $2.4 million ($2 million loan from Coventus) and acquired a

cash-out refinance on 118-148 N Lawn in 2025 ($3.7 million loan from Kansas State Bank).

All Wiser KC LLC properties were listed as for sale in the past two weeks.

Within 24 hours of the rally, Levovitz agreed to a meeting with tenants and Spire Energy was on site to restore gas service at 135-137 N. Lawn so tenants could have hot water. Mary Allison Joseph also told The Northeast News that the Kansas City Housing Authority was conducting inspections of all units with Section 8 vouchers.

For previous Northeast News coverage, visit https://northeastnews.net/pages/neighbors-tenant-union-help-indian-mound-renters-without-heat/

All photos by Dorri Partain