Tag Archives: uhab organizing

by | April 22, 2013 · 11:22 am

Reflections on Being Jewish, Tenant Organizing, and Orthodox Slumlords

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This week, UHAB organizer, Elise Goldin, published an article, ”Orthodox Slumlords and Their Tenants” in the Jewish Daily Forward. The article explores her experiences as a Jewish person who often finds herself organizing tenants living in horrible conditions against religious Jewish landlords.  Because the landlords are often the only visibly Jewish people tenants know, it is not uncommon to hear tenants express anti-Semetic statements:

Tenants complain to me that Jews don’t work on Saturdays, so it’s difficult to get in touch with their landlords. One time, when an Orthodox Jew bought a building in the Bronx, the tenants were convinced that he worked for the same company as the previous owner, also an Orthodox Jew. They had a difficult time trusting him.

These comments puts Jewish tenant organizers (and trust us- there are many) in a interesting position.  Organizers must think about how and when it is useful to address anti-Semitism while on the job. Elise reflects: 

So what’s the solution to ending this brewing anti-Semitism in New York City’s worst buildings? The obvious answer is ending bad landlord practices in Orthodox Jewish communities. But of course that’s way beyond my control. What is within my control is when or how I can “out” myself as Jewish to the tenants I work with. Often, I let tenants know as soon as possible, particularly when working in a building that has had many Jewish landlords. The tenants and I end up chatting about holidays, kashrut or other tidbits of Judaism.

To read the full article, click here.

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by | April 3, 2013 · 2:49 pm

Liberal, Wealthy Communities Respond to Low-Income Housing in their Neighborhoods

Photo by the LA Times

Photo by the LA Times

Remember when we wrote about George Lucas’ attempt at creating affordable housing in Marin County? Well, here’s a recap!

Marin County is the wealthiest county in California. North of San Francisco, residents of Marin County have touted themselves as liberal -minded and environmentally conscious. (They even own four times the national average of hybrid cars!)  However, the extension of their liberal ideologies regarding affordable housing in their community is limited.

The affordable housing stock in Marin County is dismal. According to the Los Angeles Times, the median home price is $650,000. Unable to pay such high mortgages, 60 percent of people who work in Marin County live outside of the area. In addition, Marin County has the most undeveloped government-controlled land of any county in the Bay Area, which limits the opportunity for providing housing to low-income residents.

In an attempt to change this reality (and piss off his neighbors), George Lucas has been working in conjunction with the Marin Community Foundation to develop more affordable housing. Initially, Lucas bought a plot of land in Marin County with the intention of creating a movie studio. However, the land was zoned for residential use and the residents of Marin wouldn’t allow him to change the land into commercial land.  Displeased with his neighbors’ rigidity, he has been retaliating by pushing for an affordable housing development in that space.

Now, Marin County residents feel even more unsatisfied with Lucas’ plan.  At a recent planning commission hearing, Marin County residents acknowledged the importance of affordable housing, but were reluctant to bring such a development into their neighborhood. Outraged, folks that work in Marin County have started organizing against residents that disapprove Lucas’ development project. At a protest following one of the planning commission hearings, workers and allies came together in solidarity wearing pins that stated, “End Apartheid in Marin County.” The low-income workers that would benefit from affordable housing are employed by the very Marin residents that disapprove of the development. This circumstance clearly illustrates how NIMBY attitudes and class relations play out in wealthy communities, like Marin.

Similar trends have occurred in Brooklyn. The residents of recently gentrified Carroll Gardens are generally considered liberal-minded and aware of social justice issues. However, their response to a letter from the city demonstrates otherwise, again, in regards to housing concerns. In October of 2012, the NY Times reported that residents were informed that the city was building a homeless shelter nearby to accommodate the ever increasing problem of homelessness (and lack of affordable housing). Most Carroll Gardens’ residents responded with disapproval:

To jam 170 homeless men into this neighborhood is a numbskull idea,” said Buddy Scotto, head of the Carroll Gardens Association. “I didn’t spend my whole life helping make Carroll Gardens a decent place to let somebody do a dumb idea like this.

Partaking in social change efforts is often predicted on comfort, convenience, and personal benefit. For many, enacting social change is easier and more comfortable when one is engaged at a distance.   When brought in close proximity to injustice, folks are forced to confront and reconcile their own prejudices and privilege. Therefore, when the “other” enters their backyards, most residents are compelled to resist.  This, of course, only further marginalizes specific populations (homeless, low-income), and reinforces social structures.

To truly dismantle oppressive structures and enact social change, residents of both Marin County and Carroll Gardens (and other wealthy, “liberal” communities) must align their ideologies with their actions. We stand in solidarity with low-income workers and homeless folk that are fighting for active inclusivity and recognized humanity in more affluent neighborhoods.

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by | February 21, 2013 · 3:02 pm

Casitas: Places of Community Power in the South Bronx

We all know that in the 1970s the Bronx was burning. We don’t always hear about was the amazing organizing and cultural production that came out of the time, such as hip hop, and the focus of this blog post: casitas. Casitas, “little houses” in Spanish, were an incredible creation that developed out of the immigration waves, nostalgia, and state of affairs in the Bronx.  Built on abandoned, overgrown lots, and they transferred neglected spaces into meaningful community meeting points.  The Puerto Rican community viewed casitas a means of reclaiming the power which has been taken away from them as a marginalized immigrant community. The casitas are small houses, built to resemble rural houses in Puerto Rico, evoking memories of rural birthplaces before its industrialization in the 1950s.

In a way, casitas helped the many cultural aspects of the Puerto Rican community grow and flourish in New York City.  A 1990 NY Times article reports:

 More than a sentimental backdrop for the garden, the casita is a workshop where craftsmen carve drums and speckled carnival masks and where local children learn dance steps to rhythms that first came to this hemisphere aboard slave ships.

The casitas demonstrate the importance of a built space as a way to bring together a community.  They represented more than just current realities, but also were memories of life in Puerto Rico, of childhood. It is easy to see the influence of casitas on current movements such as Occupy Wall Street, which also illegally reclaimed space to educate the community and use collective power. Both OWS and the casitas were places where the community built their structures in order to establish their notion of an ideal world.

Like Occupy (or many other structures which challenge community norms), the casitas are impermanent and remain at risk of demolition. Many have been torn down, while others have moved locations.  La Casita de Chema (formally known as Rincon Criollo) is one of the oldest casitas in the South Bronx.  In 2006, HPD threatened eviction.  Only after extreme community mobilization with community groups like Nos Quedamos, was there a renegotiation, and the casita was moved one block away.

 In 2009, former Bronx Borough President and current mayoral candidate, Adolof Carrion, Jr. headed a campaign to make the casitas state landmarks.  While we are pretty sure that the campaign was lost, we feel confident the casitas will remain a part of the Bronx and the Puerto Rican community for the long run.  We are amazed and the incredible organizing and education efforts which not only keep the casitas in existence but flourishing.  To learn more about Casita de Chema (and to hear some music about it) click here.

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by | February 11, 2013 · 3:35 pm

Exciting Win for Affordable Housing Preservation in the Bronx!

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photo: NYTimes

Last year, a coalition of organizations including UHAB negotiated with three banks (New York Community Bank, Valley National Bank, and Chase) to establish the “First Look” Program.  As we mentioned in previous posts, this program allows community development organizations a two week grace period to make an offer on distressed housing.  This two week period minimizes competition, and ideally gives nonprofits an advantage over other developers to purchase and preserve affordable housing.

An exciting deal has been reached this week between Banana Kelly and New York Community Bank! (For the record NYCB has been the only bank which has successfully sold distressed buildings to nonprofits through “First Look.”) The New York Times published an article yesterday about 63 distressed units on College Ave in the Bronx which were previously owned by notorious landlord Eli Abbott.  We are thrilled that these buildings will be preserved as long-term affordable housing, and that tenants will get the repairs that they deserve!

While the “First Look” program has been successful a handful of times, the way the market has been recently, banks are selling debt, rather than selling deeds.  This means that in order to purchase a building, a developer must buy the debt from the bank, finish the foreclosure, go to auction, and then take over as owner of a property.  It is unusual for nonprofits to have the capacity to negotiate with banks and go through this lengthy process.

This challenge for nonprofits to purchase buildings (especially smaller buildings in foreclosure) is why we at UHAB continue to advocate for the creation of an Interim Facility.  The way we see it, an Interim Facility would take a great deal of pressure off the nonprofits, and allow for more deals like this one deal to take place.

To read the NYTimes article on the College Ave buildings, click here.

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by | February 5, 2013 · 2:19 pm

Remember Amadou Diallo: Stand Up Against Police Brutality and Racial Profiling!

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14 years ago today, 22 year old Amadou Diallo was shot at 41 times by the police in the doorway of his apartment building in the Soundview section of the Bronx.  Amadou was unarmed and a recent immigrant. His murder sparked widespread protest against the NYPD, and has become symbolic of the mistrust between the police and communities of color. In October, the officer who initiated the shooting was reunited with his gun. This fact adds to an increasing sentiment that the NYPD’s practices are in opposition to the best interests of most New Yorkers. In the past year, the relationship between New York and the boys in blue has deteriorated drastically, particularly in communities of color.

NYPD policies:

While we recognize that many NYPD officers support and work towards the best interest of the community, most are required to participate in the policies listed above.  These tactics instill a dangerous fear of law enforcement and dissuade us from standing up for ourselves and our communities.

Often when organizing in buildings, particularly in the Bronx, we hear that tenants are afraid to speak out against the horrible conditions that they suffer.  Some tenants are afraid of the landlord, some of their immigration status. As organizers, we work to empower communities, facilitate them coming together and facing something seemingly frightening together. Through organizing, demonstrating, and demanding changes, we can change the police system into the empowering body that it should be, into something that will uplift our communities.

Join Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice TODAY to honor Amadou Diallo’s life and to END police brutality and racial profiling:

Who: YOUTH MINISTRIES FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
What: Amadou Diallo Rally & Prayer Vigil
Where/When: 6:00 PM – Meet at Youth Ministrites for Peace and Justice, 1384 Stratford Avenue, Bronx NY
6:15 PM – March Starts
6:30PM – Prayer Vigil Starts @ Amadou Diallo’s Home, 1157 Wheeler Avenue, Bronx, NY 10472

For more information, click here. 

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