Tom Meksto

Fabian Bravo and his family in Sunset Park, Brooklyn have been defending their right to live in a space safe from mold, lead, flooding, freezing temperatures and they have been locked in a fierce battle against their landlord for 15 years. Through home video and archival footage, we follow the family’s decades-long fight.

Monday, July 28, 2025 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app. Rents have gone up an average of 30% in the past five years in the United States – as of April 2024, the average rent in Manhattan was almost $5,000 a month. Some landlords are eager to get rid of long-term tenants and use various tactics, including cutting off heat and gas, refusing to make repairs, and ignoring vermin infestations. This film profiles a group of determined residents and dedicated nonprofit attorneys fighting corrupt landlords for the fundamental human right to a home.

In New York City’s most quickly gentrifying neighborhoods, a group of fearless residents, activists and nonprofit attorneys fight corrupt landlords and developers for the basic human right to a home. Each story is a David vs. Goliath-type battle clearly exposing how interconnected systems give power to the real estate industry and contribute to the human toll of gentrification.