Home ownership.  The American Dream.

But not in East New York in the 1990’s. It was widely considered one of the most dangerous and ecnomically depressed neighborhoods in all of New York City The 75th Precinct, which covers East New York, led the city in homicides in the early-to-mid 1990s. 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 Vacant lots The city took buildings 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