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[UPDATE BELOW] Around 10:30 this morning, activists for the homeless cut through a fence and seized a vacant lot at 115th and Madison Ave in East Harlem; they say the property is owned by JPMorgan Chase, which is a "recent beneficiary of billions in taxpayer bailout money." The occupation, organized by the group Picture the Homeless, has drawn over 100 activists to the lot, and they've been busy turning it into a festive "tent village," with a casita, a stage, banners, barbeque grills, and two dozen tent structures—inspired in part by Depression-era Hoovervilles. On their blog the group says:
As the foreclosure crisis festers, Bloomberg and the banks fail us. We're not waiting around. From Miami to Sacramento to now here in NYC we take back the land! We'll stay here as long as we can, housing the homeless and providing the resources the city fails to provide. A summer breeze, corns, beans, bread, cherries, juice, tents, music, homeless people and allies. Come show you're support, we'll be here for a while!
City Room reports that two dozen police officers are observing the scene from 115th Street, and according to the group's Twitter feed they've just been given an order to disperse. One of the protesters—a disabled nurse who says she was priced out of her apartment—tells the Village Voice they'll "hold it through the week and the weekend and as many weeks as we can." And Rob Robinson, a board member of Picture the Homeless, says, "We’re waiting for our legal representative. There are a number of us who are willing to defend the space. Let’s leave it at that."
The activists are demanding that dormant properties like this one be used for affordable permanent housing, and Picture the Homeless says they're working with Councilmember Tony Avella on an "anti-warehousing" bill that would help put unused lots to good use—the Gotham Gazette has a whole lot more on that. The direct action comes as homeless shelter populations are at an all-time high and Mayor Bloomberg seeks state approval for a new set of policies intended to move families out of shelters more quickly.
UPDATE: According to the group's Twitter, 8 members of Picture the Homeless were arrested, with "more actions to come!" City Room reports that after a police sergeant told the activists that "anyone who remains on property is subject to arrest," most of them dispersed. The eight who remained were handcuffed around 5 p.m. and the lot was cleared, apparently without violence.
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now that's a scoop...great reporting!!!
Well, so much for the property rights in this country. Instead of blaming everyone else I suggest to the nurse and other newly "homeless" to read the fine prints of their subprime mortgages before signing on the dotted lines. Also to put off buying those SUVs and other bling blings on their HELOC.
Generalization and hyperbole at its finest ladies and gentlemen!
Did they serve lobster tail for lunch?
Only problem is, JPMC didn't need bail out money. And paid all of it they were forced to take back first chance they got. In fact they bought bear stearns as a favor to the US Government.
Kind of the worst possible plot of land to occupy. Though I agree that there is entirely too much vacant space in NYC. A million luxury condos lie vacant rotting as people struggle to find apts.
Yeah, they should have found an empty lot owned by AIG. I probably would have picked them up some dinner on my way home in that case.
the homeless advocacy group can afford Twitter enabled phones ? ... why don't they use the monthly data charges for ... the homeless ?
A foreign bank-owned property would have worked better for them.
Well fuck I want to live on Madison Avenue! Where do I sign up?
Not at 115th, you don't.
Why is that activists always seem so misguided?
"Come show you're support"
Sorry, I only support grammatically correct causes.
Ha, I thought the same thing.
I have an old Holographic picture of Lenin and Stalin that I may drop off to them. They then will be able to hold worship services there as well.
"A summer breeze, corns, beans, bread, cherries, juice, tents, music, homeless people and allies."
hippies and commies will never learn. you're participating in a fad that sooner or later will end with people departing to pursue their own success and happiness.
BTW: "homeless activist" sounds like an oxymoron.
When does the drum circle start?
Why is everyone on this thread being so negative?
I think it's a great show of human perseverance that these people are willing to come together to demonstrate for a legitimate cause at a time in their lives when most say f*ck it and live off city funded benefits while wallowing in self pity.
You should try to escape your nasty, negative self absorbed world, past hippie comments & grammatical errors & be proud of these people who are attempting to bring attention to a serious error in the city's infrastructure while going through a much harder time in life than you probably ever will.
Uh oh, Jamie Dimon just called in an airstrike...
Why doesn't the woman in the grey skirt donate her ass to the homeless? Looks like it could feed about 20 from here.
Until Permanent Housing is issued to All and Recognized as a Human Right, The People Will Continue!!!!!
There's no reason a government continues to allow some to secure permanent housing and others not.
Those shelter system is a failure, no one should be out through temporary shelter when one of the basic necessities in life is shelter along with food and clothing to name afew.
Excellent Struggle for Change being Waged here and it is suggested others find a way to involve themselves in this push in securing our human right, before others are affected also and put through a failing system that has been shocking to others conscious.
People's Movement, in the United States... the government has no say in people's housing situation. They should have no say. This is a free country. You know, free as in not communist. If you don't like it, swim to Cuba.
But you won't. You'll keep complaining about how the world doesn't fit your insane delusional values. The fact remains though, that those who have actually experienced your utopia, are actually swimming here from Cuba. Or packing themselves into shipping containers from china.
People's reliance on social services, and welfare, on government aid in general... it's absolutely proven to be misplaced. It cannot, will not, and has NEVER worked.
I swear to god, I wish we were still allowed to lynch commies in the streets. We need to keep the crazy in check. You can't open your mouth to utter a political opinion in this country without some batshit fucking crazy socialist jumping down your throat screaming bloody murder about bunny rabbits and unicorns.