Slumlord Millionaire

About the film

With a real estate mogul in the White House it is time to examine what created him: a system of theft created for the propertied classes. Slumlord Millionaire depicts harassment and injustice in (social) housing in New York, and how powerless the legal system is against it. However, it also shows the community activism that rises to confront it, told from the point of view of three smart and assertive women of colour. Directors Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez present a clear overview of the tactics the real estate lobby uses to intimidate, exploit, silence, corrupt and rob people. A fascinating example of which is deed theft, the illegal transfer of a property title without the homeowner’s consent. The film presents an examination of the dynamics of gentrification by focusing on the power of developers, instrumental in creating and increasing the wealth gap. Even though set in the USA, it is a story that is increasingly relevant for Dutch cities like Rotterdam.