Newly unionized tenants in Crown Heights rallied on Saturday alongside elected officials as they continue to fight for building ownership.

"We want to purchase these buildings, we want to take them over and do them properly," says Michelle Stamp.

According to tenants like Stamp, residents in three buildings - 1392 Sterling Place, 1018 Eastern Parkway and 1074 Eastern Parkway – have been fighting to buy their buildings from Sara Dukler, a landlord from Rikud Realty, for years. Tenants have faced numerous issues with upkeep, cleanliness, repairs and rodents for over a decade. In the last two years alone, there have been 314 complaints across all three buildings. There have been almost 600 reported violations at the buildings, according to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

"I was dealing with the rats and the mice and the roaches that come, and the landlord doesn't do anything," says longtime tenant Gwendolyn Straker.

According to tenants, they have attempted to negotiate with Sara Dukler only to be met with silence.

During the rally, tenants announced the launch of the Dukler Tenant Union.

"If we're paying your rent, you have a responsibility and an obligation to the tenants of the buildings that you own," says tenant Bleuberthol Scott. "We're going to withhold rent and we're going to purchase the building away from you, so we no longer have to deal with your ineptitude as a landlord."

Alongside the HOPE Tenant Union of East Brooklyn, tenants are hoping they will receive technical support from UHAB, a city leader in tenant-led co-op formation. Collectively, their goal is to establish a co-op to secure affordability and resident control for future generations.