Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) Oral History Collection
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Language of Materials
Abstract
Founded in 1973, the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) creates and supports community-controlled affordable housing in New York City. UHAB supports New Yorkers to acquire, rehabilitate, and manage their apartments. Their programs include providing loans to first-time home buyers; developing new affordable co-ops; and organizing tenants facing landlord harassment and neglect. UHAB has undertaken a long-running oral history program with residents of HDFC co-ops, a type of resident-controlled, cooperatively-owned, and permanently affordable housing unique to New York City. The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) Oral History Collection (dated 2018-2022) consists of electronic audio recordings, transcripts, and photographs created in the course of the UHAB oral history program with residents of HDFC co-ops. The oral history interviews and supplemental materials document an under-represented but influential housing rights movement, spanning four boroughs and thousands of homes from the 1970s to the present day. The oral history project seeks to preserve the voices and memories of HDFC residents so that they may be passed down to future generations of building residents, as well as educate the public on the value of this affordable housing model. The interviews cover topics such as governance, time management, and equity; the internal politics of running a co-op; rehabilitation and renovation of buildings; squats and squatters; family life in co-ops; challenges of working with city officials; the long-term effects of secure, stable housing; navigating generational and demographic changes; community and building maintenance; and the struggle to remain affordable in a financialized housing market. Co-ops like Umbrella House are featured; participants are also spread out across New York in neighborhoods like Harlem, Washington Heights, South Bronx, Lower East Side, and Brownsville. Interviews address race, immigration, and gentrification.
Historical Note
Founded in 1973, the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) creates and supports community-controlled affordable housing in New York City. UHAB supports New Yorkers to acquire, rehabilitate, and manage their apartments. Their programs include providing loans to first-time home buyers; developing new affordable co-ops; and organizing tenants facing landlord harassment and neglect. UHAB has undertaken a long-running oral history program with residents of HDFC co-ops (Housing Development Fund Corporation cooperatives), a type of resident-controlled, cooperatively-owned, and permanently affordable housing unique to New York City.
Arrangement
Interviews are arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) Oral History Collection (dated 2018-2022) consists of electronic audio recordings, transcripts, and photographs created in the course of the UHAB oral history program with residents of HDFC co-ops. The oral history interviews and supplemental materials document an under-represented but influential housing rights movement, spanning four boroughs and thousands of homes from the 1970s to the present day. The oral history project seeks to preserve the voices and memories of HDFC residents so that they may be passed down to future generations of building residents, as well as educate the public on the value of this affordable housing model. The interviews cover topics such as governance, time management, and equity; the internal politics of running a co-op; rehabilitation and renovation of buildings; squats and squatters; family life in co-ops; challenges of working with city officials; the long-term effects of secure, stable housing; navigating generational and demographic changes; community and building maintenance; and the struggle to remain affordable in a financialized housing market. Co-ops like Umbrella House are featured; participants are also spread out across New York in neighborhoods like Harlem, Washington Heights, South Bronx, Lower East Side, and Brownsville. Interviews address race, immigration, and gentrification.
Subjects
People
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use, with the exception of interviews without release forms, which cannot be reproduced by publication. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) Oral History Collection; TAM 825; box number; folder number or item identifier; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Clara Weinstein, Assistant Director for Fundraising and Communications, and Margy Brown (Executive Director) in May 2023; the accession number associated with this gift is 2023.067. An audio recording and transcript of one interview intended to be included in the original donation was donated by Reb Ngu and Clara Weinstein in September 2023.
Born-Digital Access Policies and Procedures
Advance notice is required for the use of computer records. Original physical digital media is restricted. An access terminal for born-digital materials in the collection is available by appointment for reading room viewing and listening only. Researchers may view an item's original container and/or carrier, but the physical carriers themselves are not available for use because of preservation concerns.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Collection materials have been described on the collection- and interview-level, re-using description supplied by the UHAB. Some interview subjects chose to be identified by their first name only or remain anonymous. New York University Libraries follow professional standards and best practices when imaging, ingesting, and processing born-digital material in order to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the content. Release forms were separated from other interview materials and are stored in the collection file. Empty directories on the original flash drive were not transferred.
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Marissa Mack, 2019-01-17
Abstract
Marissa joined her HDFC in 2010. Although she initially didn't know a lot about HDFCs, she has served on the board on and off for some time. In this interview, Marissa identifies time and commitment as the biggest co-op struggles, comparing taking care of building is like a part-time job. Marissa notes that she is generally happy with how the community has maintained the building and the co-op's finances.
Digital materials
David, 2018-09-27
Abstract
David is Puerto Rican and grew up in the building, where his parents were superintendents. The building was very family oriented, which David notes eventually became problematic because families acted as voting blocs. This co-op is mostly run by women. David notes that the space feels like home and that he feels very safe.
Digital materials
Scott and Peter, 2018-10-31
Abstract
This co-op was converted in 1998. Shareholders attended classes with UHAB to gain the skills to run the building.
Digital materials
Josie Rivera, 2018-10-15
Abstract
Josie and and Lillian were born in the building; Jaime moved in 20 years ago. The neighborhood and building were run-down and on the verge of being demolished, until tenants learned about the Tenant Interim Lease (TIL) program, which they entered in 2001. The tenants formed a tenants union and took classes at 100 Gold Street and UHAB. They started cleaning up and maintaining the building, which they believe had a positive effect on the neighborhood. They renovated the building to be energy efficient and environmentally safe.
Digital materials
Tauno Biltsted, 2019-09-24
Abstract
Tauno moved into the neighborhood in the mid 1980s, when the squatting movement was in full swing. Squatters moved into Umbrella House (so-called because residents needed to bring umbrellas inside due to the leaking roof) around 1988. Tauno describes the Lower East Side at this time as disinvested, with buildings on Avenue A burned down and drug use prevalent; however, these cracks were also opportunities for artists. Umbrella House self-managed and self-governed for a long time. Residents did major renovations like stabilizing the roof and stairs and installing new bathrooms, wiring, and gas, with help from UHAB. Residents created a collective garden on the roof that provides produce for everyone in the building. The building was intended to house artists and a diverse population. About three quarters of the building are still original residents, many of whom remain active in the community.
Digital materials
Theresa Lillian Reid, 2021-06-10
Abstract
Theresa moved into the building in 1962, while the building still had a landlord, who was described as a community leader. They had a strong tenants association as well. A new landlord took over who neglected building, which fell into disrepair. Many people left, but those who stayed behind organized and raised funds to do repairs in the building. They were able to enter the TIL program and convert their building into an HDFC.
Digital materials
Eva, 2021-05-21
Abstract
Eva was born and raised in an HDFC. Her parents arrived in New York City in the 1970s, during which the building was converted into an HDFC. In this interview she discusses the struggles of dealing with conflict.
Digital materials
Josephine Charles, August 21-September 8, 2021
Abstract
Josephine is from New York. She was born in Manhattan and raised in Staten Island, but often travelled to Harlem to see her extended family. She moved into the building to find affordable rent in the city as a childcare worker making minimum wage. She has been living in her HDFC for over four decades and played a significant role in maintaining the co-op. In this interview Josephine notes that many of the pioneers of the building have passed away, and describes the difficulties in maintaining leadership and knowledge over generations. Josephine expresses gratitude that living in an HDFC has offered a chance to have a stable, affordable place in the city.
Digital materials
Flora Huang, 2021-08-23
Abstract
Flora moved into her HDFC in 2010 as a single mom. She has served on the board and is a staunch advocate for affordability. She describes the changes and challenges that have emerged as the neighborhood gentrifies. She speaks about the importance of remembering the origins of HDFCs as self-help housing for tenants in majority non-white, red-lined neighborhoods.
Digital materials
Mica, 2020-09-11
Abstract
Mica grew up between New York and Haiti. She was born in Brooklyn but raised in Haiti for six years before moving back to New York City. She moved to her building in the Upper West Side before it was converted to a co-op, looking for affordable rent in Manhattan while working as a freelancer, and has stayed there ever since. In this interview she describes her challenges working with city officials as well as with her neighbors in the building.
Digital materials
Daphne, 2021-10-01
Abstract
Daphne moved into her building as a baby; her parents were part of a wave of residents who settled in after the original homesteaders. In this interview she discusses growing up with values of trust, cooperation, and interdependence. She emphasizes the value of growing up in a stable home in an expensive city that she observed other kids in middle-class households lacked. Daphne connects her co-op to a larger homesteading and affordable housing movement that has transformed her neighborhood of Manhattan Valley to a diverse and affordable enclave within the Upper West Side.
Digital materials
David Calvert and Stephanie Evans, 2021-10-02
Abstract
David and Stephanie are longtime residents who have stewarded their HDFC for four decades at the time of the interview. David and his wife were original members of a homesteading group organized by a Dominican couple to squat an abandoned building on 105th Street. Stephanie joined in the early years as a medical student and immigrant from Jamaica. She was also employed at UHAB at the time. Their involvement with the housing movement influenced their approach toward their co-op. They recount the early struggles to occupy and rehabilitate the building, debates around affordability, balancing business pressures and family ties, and the pride of making their dream of a permanent, affordable home in New York City a reality.
Digital materials
Anonymous Shareholder, 2021-10-15
Abstract
This HDFC resident was born in Fordham Hospital and has lived in the Bronx her whole life. She moved into her HDFC with her mother and her siblings as a child. The building shortly fell into foreclosure and was seized by the City. The City offered ownership to the residents for $250 per household. She credits living in an HDFC for making her life in New York affordable. She describes the dramatic changes the neighborhood has undergone from its disinvested and abandoned state in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of her neighbors are relatives, and her building has many seniors. In this interview she identifies getting residents to volunteer to be on the board and the general governance process as major challenges.
Digital materials
Diane D. Orr, 2021-10-21
Abstract
In this interview Diane describes her experiences with homesteading and housing organizing. Diane helped homestead her building in 1980 through LESCAC (Lower East Side Catholic Area Conference), a now-defunct Catholic Charities organization. She, alongside other volunteers, worked on a sweat equity project rehabbing 11 buildings in the Lower East Side through LESAC's homesteading process. In return, they could buy into and own one of the units. The land on which the buildings stood was also turned into a community land trust, the RAIN Community Land Trust. The rehab process was grueling and dangerous but hardened her resolve to stay in New York and built a sense of interreliance with her neighbors. They finished the sweat equity process after five years, longer than initially expected. The building was initially self-managed but they encountered challenges. After LESAC went under, the co-op partnered with UHAB. Diane has served as the co-op board's secretary for many years. None of the original shareholders have sold their apartments.
Digital materials
Godfrey Hibbert, 2021-11-06
Abstract
Godfrey is a young HDFC board member from Miami who moved to Brooklyn in 2012. Growing up precariously housed in Florida and then encountering exploitative landlords in New York, he began looking for more stable housing options and applied to his HDFC in the Bronx in 2019. He was immediately asked to serve on the board and brought in fresh energy and ambition. In this interview he discusses the challenges of entering and turning around a board with established dysfunctions, as well as the wins they were able to secure – including making necessary repairs and renovations, getting to know his neighbors and local Black-owned businesses, and renting out the building's unused basement as affordable storage units.
Digital materials
Kianah Adams, Earline King, Kayla, 2021-11-23
Abstract
The residents of this Brownsville HDFC had just won a legal battle to reclaim possession of their building, which had fallen into foreclosure and had been targeted by real estate brokers. This battle began when a crucial tax exemption - J51 - had expired without their knowledge, resulting in a steep and unaffordable jump in their taxes. Kianah and Ms. King led a massive legal effort to regain their building, seeking help from local council members, lawyers, and housing nonprofits along the way. King grew up in Brownsville and homesteaded the building with a group that included Kianah's mother. Many of the original homesteaders were biologically related. They moved into the building in 1983; the building has had a tight-knit and familial atmosphere ever since. Children grew up playing in the hallways and street; cook outs would regularly occur in the backyard. King has been president since the 1980s and plans to continue her tenure into her retirement, although Kianah, part of a younger generation who grew up in the building, now lives there with her partner and child and has since taken on more leadership.
Digital materials
Ryan, 2022-06-27
Abstract
Ryan is a younger shareholder who entered the building in Sugar Hill in 2009 and has served on the board intermittently ever since. He is part of a newer generation of residents taking on the responsibility and governance of the building from its original shareholders. In this interview Ryan discusses the challenge of maintaining affordable and primarily local residency in Sugar Hill, an iconic but disinvested neighborhood that has gentrified with the rest of Harlem in the past few decades. He emphasizes that the co-op is the only place that many shareholders can afford to live in Manhattan and that HDFCs must be a place of primary residence, not a place to sublet or a pied a terre. He credits the first generation of primarily women shareholders who formed and governed the co-op, and hopes to continue the sense of community into the future.
Digital materials
Clarence Grier, 2022-07-06
Abstract
Clarence Grier 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. 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. In this interview Clarence discusses the early years of the building.
Digital materials
Anonymous Building Resident, 2021-12-08
Abstract
This building resident moved into her building, which had been squatted since the 1990s, in 2005 through a relationship with a local art gallery owner. She has stayed ever since and has been one of the leaders spearheading their conversion process into an HDFC. In this interview she discusses the challenges of a self-organized and self-managed building, and how the process has deeply rooted her sense of self within the building and neighborhood community at large.
