Riviera Estates Tenants' Union are Fighting for All of Us

By Elton LK

Boise Democratic Socialists of America has been supporting the brave organizing work of the Riviera Estates Tenants’ Union against their landlord, Demetre Booker, Jr., managing partner of Elevate Commercial. The union was formed to end a pattern of harassment and financial abuse by Elevate Commercial Management.

The world is facing massive crises right now. Why, then, do we care so much about a single mobile home park in Eagle, Idaho?

Because we are ALL Riviera Estates tenants.

Most of us do not live in Riviera Estates, but we all experience exploitation directly or indirectly—whether from a landlord, a boss, or the invisible gears of the capitalist system. Boise’s affordable housing crisis is driven by tax laws and economic incentives that treat housing as a vehicle for profit rather than a human right. As wealth centralizes into fewer hands, the rest of us struggle just to keep a roof over our heads.

Consider this: private equity firms own nearly 3 million apartment units across the country—about 13% of the total housing stock. Most working-class people aren't hiring private equity firms to manage investments; instead, we are paying their dividends through our rent. Today, even many homeowners are just a few missed paychecks away from displacement.

Demetre Booker, Jr. enters this space claiming to run a “socially responsible” real estate firm that aims to solve the affordable housing crisis. We exposed the truth behind this myth in a recent post, “Demetre’s Public Persona vs. Reality.” This noble facade is designed to attract investors who want to feel good about where they put their money. Booker’s actions tell a radically different story.

Yet, even if Booker were the kindest landlord in the world, one does not broker over $217,000,000 in real estate deals without extracting wealth from the working class. His business strategy is fundamentally at odds with the welfare of his residents.

Booker profits by maximizing rents and inflating property values to sell to the next investor. The residents, conversely, need rents to remain stable and affordable. While both sides theoretically benefit from infrastructure updates, Booker’s 40% rent hike, arbitrary fees, and the sudden removal of beloved trees suggest a different motive: gentrification. We have seen this playbook from him before with the transformation of the Arcadia Motel in Garden City. By turning Riviera Estates into a modern, hip park, he aims to attract higher-paying tenants, price out the current community, and skyrocket the property's resale value.

Booker defends his "socially responsible" branding by claiming he mentors tenants in real estate investment. But even if we ignore that he has never produced a single success story, this approach is fundamentally flawed. Capitalism requires a renter class to exist so that investors can extract profit. Housing cannot be both a basic right and a speculative commodity. Ensuring everyone has a safe place to live must come before teaching a select few how to become winners in a rigged system.

Booker’s speculation directly worsens the housing crisis. He argues that mobile home parks are a solution to affordable housing, yet he admits he doesn't build new parks or expand the existing supply. How does raising the rent on fixed-income tenants solve an affordability crisis?

The housing crisis is fueled by real estate speculation that treats shelter as a commodity. We live in a world where short-term vacation rentals sit empty while Millennials and Gen Z—already crushed by wage stagnation and growing debt—are priced out of ever owning a home.

When the Riviera Estates Tenants' Union stands up against predatory landlords, they are fighting for all of us. Their struggle is our struggle.