ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Residents and community leaders demonstrated outside Clinton Lofts Thursday saying 106 people are being forced out by the owner.

They say the conditions there area already horrible.

“Disgusting. Embarrassing. I can’t even have nobody come and visit, I have water damage and mold,” says resident Keisha Campbell. “They don’t do no repairs and they don’t do no work. They’re slum lords.”

Campbell says she has nowhere else to go, and says her rent was already collected for this month.

According to the #ROC city tenants union and residents, 106 people are being booted out of Clinton Lofts by Jan. 31. And in addition to that, residents say they have had filthy living conditions in their apartments. More on @News_8 tonight. pic.twitter.com/cffwaYIIqr — Christian Garzone (@ccjgarzone) January 2, 2020

Pamela Owens with the city-wide tenant’s union was looking at low-income housing in the neighborhood last week, when she and her team came across this property at 1616 North Clinton. That location is one of three Clinton Loft locations.

“I had to do what I could do to try and help these people here because this is inhumane,” Owens said.

Barbara Rivera with the tenant’s union says the inside of the buildings are awful.

“Black mold, mice, bed bugs, rats in there — literally,” Rivera said.

City Councilmember Mary Lupien says due to these unlivable conditions, some tenants went on a rent strike, that’s why the owner, Ron Zour, is trying to forcibly evict everyone. She came today offering support and solutions.

“The City of Rochester, through code enforcement can actually go in and fix these problems on their own, and then charge it back to the owner on the tax bill,” Lupien said.

Community activist Billy Booker says the entire complex has had their essential utilities turned off, including water, heat and electricity. He says there are over 190 code violations.

“A landlord cannot, under state, federal or local law, shut down any tenant’s utilities,” Booker said.

Lupien says someone here has to be held accountable, and that begins with demonstrations like the one Thursday.

“We need more and more people coming out to support the efforts of the tenant’s union,” Lupien said.

City Councilmember Mitch Gruber says all nine councilmembers sent a letter to Judge Michael Lopez and Judge Teresa Johnson asking to deny the evictions at Zour’s properties.

City Council’s letter

On Friday, owner Ron Zour issued the following statement to News 8: