THE WORK IS NOT DONE: A CONVERSATION WITH OFO EZEUGWU, CEO OF WHOSEYOURLANDLORD

by Chloé Francena Adams

There’s a lot of work to be done--especially now. The effects of COVID-19 have turned this world upside down. We’ve seen it. We’ve been in it. We’ve watched news station after news station and read article after article. We’ve comforted those who’ve lost loved ones, we’ve celebrated those who have returned to good health, and we’ve even found time for ourselves to readjust. If anything, this pandemic has shined a light on the things that really need to change. The things that we cannot ignore anymore. Police brutality. Lack of resources for healthcare. Unemployment. Housing discrimination. The list goes on. But the resilience and vigor of those who have been left unheard have always triumphed. The proof is in our history. The proof is in our DNA. Like so many other stories of protest, strength, and strategy, there will always be someone willing to fight the fight by any means necessary.

Meet Ofo Ezeugwu, the Co-Founder and CEO of WhoseYourLandlord, Inc. This company allows renters to review their landlords and also provides housing and literacy resources. Ofo and his team work together as liaisons between tenants and property owners to establish trusting and fair relationships between both parties. “The first step is stating what the issue is,” says Ofo. “Then, we talk to the landlords and the developers and get them to actually make those changes to improve the quality of life for their residents.”

It started in 2013 as a platform for college students to express the various issues they had with their landlords. “The power dynamic is extremely off,” said Ofo. “Think about it... we call them land-lords. Just from that standpoint, it’s making sure that mediation occurs between the two and that respect is served on both sides.”

In college, we’re usually under 21 years old and expected to make real-world decisions with minimal life experience. A decision like renting alone may impact you for years to come. “I actually had solid experiences with my landlords throughout college,” Ofo said. “I was fortunate. But what was unfortunately happening was we (The Temple University Student Government team at the time) were hearing all kinds of stories... Female tenants being harassed by male landlords, infestation issues, electrical fires, all kinds of stuff. So, I thought that there had to be some type of way that someone could review their landlord so that they had the information they needed before signing a lease. At the time, it was ‘Rate Your Landlord.’ And then WhoseYourLandlord was born about a year or so later.”

Starting as just an idea, the impact of WhoseYourLandlord has certainly reached masses, especially members of the black and brown community. “It circles back to redlining,” Ofo said as we discussed the importance of understanding the ins and outs of affordable housing. For those who don’t know, Redlining is a discriminatory practice in real estate, typically involving lenders that refuse to lend money or extend credit to borrowers in certain areas of town. Lenders draw red lines around portions of a map to indicate areas or ‘hoods’ in which they

“Right now, if any of us are in a position to rent, it is incumbent upon us to know as much information as we possibly can to ensure that our rights are just due,” said Ofo.

Though renters are often in greater need of affordable housing than homeowners, the publication, NextCity, said more than 90% of all housing discrimination occurred during rental transactions. “The person that gets evicted the most times in this country is a single black mother,” said Ofo. “When thinking about housing court, the landlord is represented most times, but the tenant is not. You’re set up to fail in that kind of system.”

Understanding this, WhoseYourLandlord has put together a Renter Commandments handbook of what you need to know throughout your rental experience. As Ofo explained, “A lot of it has to do with the law.” Currently, the handbook is available specifically for Philly and New York City residents and has versions in several languages. However, Ofo looks forward to expanding this handbook to include information for other cities as well.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty on all sides of the market,” said Ofo. “The reality is, workforce housing has been affected the most [since COVID-19]. On April 1, 2020, $50 billion was owed to rent and $90 billion in mortgages in the United States. So, we provide content and resources on how to navigate through that and arm people with information amidst COVID. We’re working. That’s the mandate, and we’re here to do it.”

As an entrepreneur, many individuals battle with ideas. The struggle becomes knowing when there’s a good idea, and when there’s the right idea. For Ofo, the right idea meant doing something that could impact the greater community, partnering with organizations like ESUSU that can help renters build credit through rental payments.

“I always believed truly in the people,” he said. “If you’re creating a community of people that have trusted information and you’re creating a space where true data is being shared about people’s lived experiences, then you can adequately, effectively and efficiently solve those problems. In the beginning, I felt as if this needed to exist in the market, and I kept building it. It’s as simple as that.”

Having the right idea is one thing, but implementing it with the right people is another. “We’re five years as an actual business,” said Ofo. “A misconception is how fast this happened. People think it happened really quickly. But the team is everything. There’s no way to accomplish this much and position ourselves where we are right now if our team is not very strong. We literally have a team where everyone is an expert at what they do. That’s infectious.”

Ofo’s done a lot as a two-time business owner and model for names like NY Fashion Week, Nike, ESPN, and more. However, to him, the work is not done.

“I don’t want black people to all feel like they have to always be so exceptional to get an opportunity; when white counterparts can be regular and get an opportunity. It’s not an indictment against [white people] because I have white friends who are hardworking,” said Ofo. “But it’s just the reality of our society. That’s something I won’t solve during my lifetime, but I can put a massive dent in it. And that’s what drives me. When I think about my past and who I am, I always look forward.”

Consider Ofo’s advice for those eager to get out and create change in their community, industry, or the world. “Create something that you’re passionate about. Think to yourself, ‘What’s the one thing that I can do that can add value to someone’s life?’ Our minds are smarter than we give credit for. But all you have to do is believe it can happen, and it’s yours.”

Connect with WhoseYourLandLord IG and Twitter: @WYLCommunity W: wyl.co