Clarence has lived in his building for over fifty years. The building was originally a Mitchell Lama co-op that fell into foreclosure due to the developers’ being indicted for fraud in 1972. The building was taken over by the City and managed by a private company; in addition, the tenants formed a tenants association, which Clarence became a part of. In the 1990s, after conversations with HPD where he learned that the City wished to sell their property, he and other residents initiated the process of buying the building and converting it into an HDFC co-op. He is the president of the building’s board and formerly worked at UHAB as its Bronx Borough Director. Clarence discussed the early years of the building.