East Harlem Residents Demand Homes from Vacant Buildings

More than one hundred people rallied outside a vacant building owned by New York City in East Harlem March 17, demanding affordable housing and sensible homeless policies from the City Council and the mayor.

The protest and occupation were organized by Picture the Homeless, a grassroots organization run by homeless and formerly homeless people. In a move inspired by the Miami-based Take Back the Land group, which moves homeless people into foreclosed residences, members of Picture the Homeless helped a small group of people take over a part of a vacant building, one of the hundreds of vacant buildings found around the city. But the building, located on 116th Street and Madison Avenue, had a large hole in the ceiling, so the building was deemed unsafe and nobody could stay inside.

The action was taken to expose the fact that 24,000 potential apartments exist in vacant buildings, enough to house every homeless family in the city, and to push the City Council to adopt legislation put forth by Tony Avella, a Queens Democrat running for mayor, which would end the practice of warehousing apartment buildings.

TEXT: ALEX KANE
PHOTOS: JOEL COOK

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