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A Motley Crew: Grassroots Group Fights for Tenants

Eviction Free Zone wields power in local politics

By Robert K. Silverman, Crimson Staff Writer

"Really, we're about organizing and advocating for people that happen to have less money than other people," says Bill Cavellini, a member of EFZ's Steering Committee since its founding. "We're not just helping one person at a time."

Heeding the Call

EFZ has been active in the community for more than 10 years. And their efforts--which have included rallies and governmental lobbying--often start with just a phone call.

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Lim says she fields about 10 to 15 calls per day, the majority from tenants who have a specific question about their rights under the law.

But occasionally a tenant raises a question that could affect a number of tenants or an entire building.

"A little red flag goes off when we hear those calls, and we follow up to see if there's some organizing that we can do there," Lim says.

But Lim says dealing with one-time calls is not EFZ's goal.

"The primary focus is to see if there are any organizing efforts we can do for [tenants]," she says. "If we just give advice on the phone, that just ends the effort right there. There isn't any continued involvement."

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