Guest post by Cassandra O’Hearn, UHAB Volunteer
I have been volunteering with the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) for the past ten months, assisting in the digitization and organization of the archives. As someone who is passionate about New York City and access to affordable housing, I reached out to UHAB last September looking for new ways to support tenants and organizers. My passion for expanding access to affordable housing and developing equitable neighborhoods aligned well with the organizations mission to “empower low- to moderate-income residents to take control of their housing and enhance communities by creating strong tenant associations and lasting affordable co-ops.” In the process of digitizing the archives I have learned about not only the history of UHAB, but UHAB’s place in the affordable housing movement in New York City. The themes that have arisen from reviewing the history of the affordable housing movement bring to light the critical role that UHAB continues to play in fighting for affordable housing and equitable neighborhoods.
Over the past five decades UHAB has been an integral part of supporting the working class of NYC, including working with residents to turn temporary housing into long term affordable housing. Central to UHAB’s work is its dedication to working collaboratively with tenants to improve living conditions and communities. For the past year or so a small team at UHAB has focused on digitizing and organizing the archival information. This work not only shows how UHAB has facilitated resident empowerment and increased access to affordable housing, but also how UHAB’s development and tenant engagement has strengthened neighborhood development across NYC. The final result is an organized database that spotlights the individuals and communities that UHAB has impacted. To highlight some of the long-lasting benefits of this work, this post will reveiw three articles written in 1975, 1996 and 2003.
UHAB’s work over the years has done more than just develop housing for low-income New Yorkers. Several of the articles archived discuss the impact that residents working with UHAB have had over the years. The article, The Renegades of Harlem, published in January of 1975 discusses how a community was able to unite through investing in housing to improve their living conditions. Specifically, prior members of the youth gang the Renegades of Harlem, were connected to a youth training program which enabled them to gain meaningful skills and improve their own community at the same time. In discussing the impact of the program, the article states that, “the Renegades of Harlem are building a dream. A dream of decent housing, jobs, of people working together to improve their own community and their own lives.”
In addition to showing the impact that UHAB has had, it is important to consider the vision of the original organizers. The article A Miracle A Day describes the origin story of UHAB’s founder Don Terner. Painting Mr. Terner as a humble leader, dedicated to his community, who’s “creative and compassionate service” caught the attention o national leaders such as President Bill Clinton and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. In reviewing his character, the article describes how “his efforts paid off for thousands of grateful people who had homes, while at the same time he insured a wellspring of reverential colleagues, admiring politicians and businessmen.” Within the article are a number if testimonies from residents, employees and community members reflecting on the impact Don Terner had on their community and in their lives. The archives show the multitude of projects UHAB has built that continue to carry out his legacy.
Finally, this archive project has brought together photographs and stories of the physical legacy of UHAB throughout New York City. Homesteading a Little Piece of History: Archive Documents Squatters History in Lower East Side describes the transfer of 11 of 12 squatter building to UHAB ownership, intended to bring the buildings up to code and return the deeds over to the squatters The article tells the story of a group of squatters “who have decided to pool their collections of documents, photographs and artifacts.” Working together to tell their own story “the Lower East Side Squatters and Homesteaders Archive Project, received a modest grant from New York State this summer and have hired an archivist.” This is one key example of how UHAB has been able to empower residents to shape their community. There are many articles like this one in the archives to highlight the impact UHAB has had over the years.
UHAB has been an important community partner for fifty years. Digitizing and reviewing the archive brings forward the human impact stories that are at the heart of UHAB’s work. The organization has brought communities together, increased access to vital services and encouraged residents to take charge of shaping the places they live and work. This brief review has looked at only a few key highlights from the work that UHAB has done. The archives contain articles and photos that capture the many lives touched by this organization.