Comments on: HOMELESS PEOPLE TAKE OVER VACANT BUILDING IN EAST HARLEM/EL BARRIO http://www.cuzproduces.com/index.php/2009/03/homeless-people-take-over-vacant-building-in-east-harlemel-barrio/ "Many creative writers keep journals; the sociologist's need for systematic reflection demands it." -C. Wright Mills Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:21:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: cuz http://www.cuzproduces.com/index.php/2009/03/homeless-people-take-over-vacant-building-in-east-harlemel-barrio/comment-page-1/#comment-1718 cuz Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:36:25 +0000 http://www.cuzproduces.com/index.php/?p=881#comment-1718 Forgot the follow up. Turns out that the building was uninhabitable. The ceiling had caved in and there were other problems. So the group moved on, leaving the occupation as a symbolic victory. Forgot the follow up. Turns out that the building was uninhabitable. The ceiling had caved in and there were other problems. So the group moved on, leaving the occupation as a symbolic victory.

]]> By: Jay http://www.cuzproduces.com/index.php/2009/03/homeless-people-take-over-vacant-building-in-east-harlemel-barrio/comment-page-1/#comment-1717 Jay Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:41:59 +0000 http://www.cuzproduces.com/index.php/?p=881#comment-1717 There must be more to the story... HPD has been spending the last few years talking about how they need to be more innovative and develop new tools to create affordable housing because they are practically out of City-owned properties. I would suspect this building needs considerable work to bring it up to code. The City may be reluctant to pay the full expense if no developers are willing to step up. That alone would be worth some activism in the current situation. Yet, if the building isn't safe, an occupation might be a bad idea. Then again, if the occupants are homeless, living on the street isn't exactly safe either... There must be more to the story…

HPD has been spending the last few years talking about how they need to be more innovative and develop new tools to create affordable housing because they are practically out of City-owned properties.

I would suspect this building needs considerable work to bring it up to code. The City may be reluctant to pay the full expense if no developers are willing to step up. That alone would be worth some activism in the current situation.

Yet, if the building isn’t safe, an occupation might be a bad idea. Then again, if the occupants are homeless, living on the street isn’t exactly safe either…

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