Home ownership.  The American Dream.

But not in East New York.  In the 1990s, it was widely considered one of the most dangerous and economically depressed neighborhoods in all of New York City.  The 75th Precinct, which covers East New York, led the city in homicides. In 1993 alone, there were over 120 murders in that precinct.

The neighborhood was a major hub for crack cocaine distribution, which fueled gang violence, turf wars, and street-level crime. Widespread poverty and urban decay defined the area. Many blocks were marked by abandoned buildings and vacant lots. The city took buildings, many inhabited, that had unpaid taxes and held them.  If a tenant organization could be formed and the tenants learned how to manage the building, it could become theirs as a coop.  They could own it.

They needed to be trained.  This is the story. of one such building and a staff member of UHAB who did the training.

“UHAB sought to give residents the tools to rehabilitate and maintain their own cooperative affordable housing to seek solutions from the ground up. Our work is guided by the principle of democratic community control: that people can collectively steward their own affordable housing to strengthen their neighborhoods.”

Democracy requires individuals to develop the skills necessary for active participation in the community. It is the community’s responsibility to provide opportunities for individuals to acquire those skills and build human capital