[URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors -toBreakintoVacantHouses

Fri Feb 27 22:34:42 EST 2009

Is anyone familiar with any research of repossessing numerous houses in a
community through a Community Land Trust (CLT)? I just joined the Urban Anth
list and I am not familiar with the discourse here, especially in regard to
CLTs.
Best,
Juan

-- 
============================
Juan G. Ruiz
MA Student, Applied Anthropology
University of South Florida
http://anthropology.usf.edu/
jgruiz at mail.usf.edu

On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 5:37 PM, Jahmeilah Roberson <
jahmeilah.richardson at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am definitely interested in this issue from various angles since my
> dissertation work is centered on issues of homelessness. I am specifically
> looking at technology ownership which in some cases is closely tied to how
> recently someone became homeless. Part of the reason I became interested in
> this issue is because I have a cousin that recently lost her home and know
> other people who have lost their homes and businesses in the past year.
>
> For those of you with experience outside of the US (or just with more
> knowledge of the issue) have you seen any differences in terms of incentives
> and aspirations for the homeless to create this types of movements? One of
> the big things I've found when looking at communities in the US vs.
> communities in Brazil (specifically in Sao Paulo since I plan to go there)
> is that the homeless I've met in the US have been less prone to create a
> sort of uprising. Some say its because the US is more of an individualistic
> society. I'm not exactly sure whether these things are true because I am
> associated with organizations that were started for and by homeless and
> recently homeless individuals (street papers, a digital photo club, and a
> literacy project). Do you think moving into foreclosed homes (or squatting
> in general) has to do with where in the US you live (LA vs Ann Arbor)? I'd
> be interested in hearing people's thoughts on this.
>
> I am definitely up for helping and being part of the core group to form any
> type of organization or collective that is working towards finding a way to
> at least temporarily house people in foreclosed homes so please keep me in
> the loop. Also, my mom told me about the recent Oprah show and she was
> totally surprised by the amount of things that people left in their homes
> after they left and was wondering what happens to those things, does anyone
> know? It seems like banks could sell them (in some cases it was furniture,
> televisions, etc) or just put the value towards the debt owed by the recent
> owners but for some reason I doubt that's what happens.
>
> Best,
> jam
>
> --
> Jahmeilah Richardson Roberson
> PhD Student
> Department of Informatics
> University of California, Irvine
>
>
>
> On Feb 27, 2009, at 9:51 AM, Whitehead, Judith wrote:
>
>  Hi,
>>  I just wanted to say that I find this a fascinating discussion, although
>> I'm not working on it--at least not directly, but on Mumbai's 'informal
>> housing.'
>>  I hope if a group forms around this issue that we can still be informed,
>> from time to time, of the issues and deliberations of the core group.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>>
>> Judy Whitehead
>> Associate Professor
>> Department of Anthropology
>> 4401 University Way
>> University of Lethbridge
>> Lethbridge, AB
>> T1K3M4
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu on behalf of Stephen C. Maack
>> Sent: Wed 2/25/2009 6:42 PM
>> To: dnonini at email.unc.edu; 'Alan Smart'; urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu; 'Angela
>> Jancius'
>> Subject: RE: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors
>> -toBreakintoVacantHouses
>>
>> Thanks, Don and Alan.  I'm not going to AAA -- nor SfAA -- this year since
>> I
>> can't afford it.  If others on the list are tiring of the discussion,
>> let's
>> take it off URBANTH-L and communicate electronically, since interested
>> people seem to be spread around the world.
>>
>> I'd be willing to set up a Yahoo! Group on which we could communicate
>> further and one could post materials, articles, papers on the website
>> associated with Yahoo! Groups.  Or a Google Group (although I've never
>> done
>> one of those, I could learn...).
>>
>> Just FYI, Oprah Winfrey devoted her entire program today to showing the
>> faces of people in the U.S. affected by the deep recession, several of
>> whom
>> were homeless, living in shelters, tent camps, and the rest of whom were
>> almost homeless and struggling to make ends meet/make do (living in an
>> apartment and behind on the rent, in an office, taking in borders to cover
>> expenses).  I don't expect anthropologists to necessarily form a separate
>> group, but hope we might network outside of URBANTH-L, figure out ways to
>> connect to assorted local, national, or international efforts, share
>> information amongst ourselves and ideas for action amongst ourselves, and
>> encourage one another in action and/or influence of policy.
>>  Anthropologists
>> have a lot to offer in these times.  There are lots of potential contacts
>> and pressure points.  Let's start to "just do it," start communicating,
>> figure out where to go from here, and see what happens.  Contact me for
>> more
>> at smaack at earthlink.net if you are interested and have the time/energy to
>> try.  Ciao.
>>
>> Warm Regards,
>> Steve Maack
>>
>> Steve Maack
>> smaack at earthlink.net
>> Telephone:  310-384-9717
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu
>> [mailto:urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu] On Behalf Of Donald M. Nonini
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 7:41 AM
>> To: 'Alan Smart'; urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu; 'Angela Jancius'
>> Subject: RE: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors -
>> toBreakintoVacantHouses
>>
>> I agree with Alan that this has been a very interesting discussion string.
>> I
>> would urge Stephen and like-minded colleagues, especially with European
>> experience, to get together (electronically or at the AAA) to discuss this
>> issue and his practical proposal to work to reduce homelessness in the USA
>> by opening up foreclosed residences for temporary occupation, which has
>> been
>> implemented elsewhere (e.g. in Belgium as Rik made clear, and also I
>> believe
>> in Spain).
>>
>> Writing personally, I think this is a very important policy issue, and I
>> agree with Stephen that anthropologists potentially have a lot to
>> contribute. Perhaps a task force of urban anthropologists interested in
>> working on this and other challenges of the current deep economic crisis
>> is
>> called for?
>>
>> Don Nonini
>> Professor & Director of Graduate Studies Anthropology Department
>> University
>> of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu
>> [mailto:urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu] On Behalf Of Alan Smart
>> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 2:49 PM
>> To: urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu; 'Angela Jancius'
>> Subject: RE: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors - to
>> BreakintoVacantHouses
>>
>> This has been an interesting string of discussion.  I've published a
>> couple
>> of articles dealing with governmental toleration of illegal housing;
>> surprisingly there is relatively little known in general about toleration
>> of
>> illegality despite its frequency of occurrence.  References:
>> Smart, Alan "Impeded self-help: toleration and the proscription of housing
>> consolidation in Hong Kong's squatter areas."  Habitat International
>> 27:205-225 (2003).
>>
>> Smart, Alan "Unruly places: Urban governance and the persistence of
>> illegality in Hong Kong's urban squatter areas."  American Anthropologist
>> 103(1):30-44 (2001).
>>
>> And for a broader perspective:  Heyman, Josiah and Alan Smart "States and
>> illegal practices:  An overview."  In Heyman (ed.)  States and Illegal
>> Practices.", pp. 1-24.  Oxford:  Berg, 1999.
>>
>> Alan Smart
>> U of Calgary
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu
>> [mailto:urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu] On Behalf Of Rik Pinxten
>> Sent: February-20-09 3:05 AM
>> To: smaack at earthlink.net; urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu; 'Angela Jancius'
>> Subject: Re: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors - to Break
>> intoVacantHouses
>>
>> dear colleagues,
>> In Ghent and other cities in Belgium (and the netherlands) we have a
>> tradition of at least a decade  where the Mayor and his services get in
>> contact with illegal occupants and make a deal with them.When the houses
>> or
>> appartments are demolished or sold it in not uncomon that the Elderman or
>> mayor orders to find a new home for the occupants.
>> Rik pinxten
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Stephen C. Maack" <smaack at earthlink.net>
>> To: <urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu>; "'Angela Jancius'" <
>> jancius3022 at comcast.net>
>> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 1:51 AM
>> Subject: RE: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors - to Break
>> intoVacantHouses
>>
>>
>>  Comparative anthropology -- while I don't have precise references, I
>>> know that in Europe (e.g., France, Germany) there has been a movement
>>> going on for several years to take over vacant apartment buildings.
>>> This is due to
>>>
>>
>>  a
>>> lack of affordable housing and homelessness problems.  I think that
>>> occupying vacant apartment buildings has also happened in some of the
>>> larger U.S. cities (perhaps in NYC -- parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn or
>>> the Bronx?).
>>> Anyone have details on those movements?  Is taking over vacant single
>>> family homes a variation on the theme?  I've lived in Minneapolis or
>>> St. Paul for nine winters and don't blame anyone trying to get out of
>>> the cold, or at least the wind, in mid-February!!  Breaking into
>>> vacant houses is, of course, completely illegal.
>>>
>>> In relatively warm Southern California there are many, many vacant,
>>> foreclosed homes that are virtually new in San Bernardino and
>>> Riverside Counties in particular (until recently two of the fastest
>>> growing counties in the United States).
>>>
>>> If this deep recession is going to last for some time, which is what
>>> is expected, homelessness is only going to get worse and worse.
>>> Someone has to start thinking of innovative solutions beyond mortgage
>>> bailouts of current homeowners, and I can't think of a better group
>>> than those of us on the Urbananth list.
>>>
>>> Here's an idea for consideration.  What if instead of just reacting,
>>> observing, going "tsk, tsk" or talking about neoliberalism, some
>>> applied urban anthropologists started becoming proactive with
>>> solutions less dangerous to poor and middle-class victims of what has
>>> transpired than illegal home occupancy?  For example, one idea might
>>> be to talk to banks and social service agencies about setting up a
>>> program to turn at least some of the vacant properties into at least
>>> temporary shelter for families who have lost their homes due to no
>>> particular fault of their own (e.g., lost a job in the economic
>>> downturn, or lost a home due to a bank-encouraged bad mortgage
>>> decisions).  Having so many homes on the market at the same time will
>>> only further depress prices.  More and more homes are being put up for
>>> lease near where I live (in a very good neighborhood), and not being
>>> leased due to too high lease/rental prices (so that may eventually
>>> force down prices).  So homes aren't going to turn over quickly
>>> anyway, as owned or leased properties.  If banks with large stocks of
>>> foreclosed homes let them out at very low rents for say six months or
>>> a year they would have occupied properties less likely to be trashed
>>> or used for illegal activities (shooting up drugs comes to mind...),
>>> might at least cover the cost of utilities (electricity, heat, water)
>>> -- especially important in cold climates to avoid damage to pipes andsuch
>>> -- and would certainly produce "good will" in the community.  The
>>>
>>> banks could phase the program and apply it to only some of their
>>> properties or certain neighborhoods.  Applied anthropologists, social
>>> service agencies, neighborhood groups, and banks could work together
>>> to redefine "risk" and what constitutes an "acceptable tenant."  What
>>> do you think?  Could it work?  Or am I just too much of an idealist,
>>> not enough of a revolutionary, or too logical?  Why wouldn't/couldn't
>>> this work?  Enlighten me....
>>>
>>> Best Regards,
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> Steve Maack
>>> smaack at earthlink.net
>>> Telephone:  310-384-9717
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu
>>> [mailto:urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu] On Behalf Of Angela Jancius
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:03 AM
>>> To: urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu
>>> Subject: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors - to Break into
>>> VacantHouses
>>>
>>> Neighbors Helping Neighbors -- to Break Into Vacant Houses
>>> http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/02/18-7
>>>
>>> Wednesday, February 18, 2009
>>> Twin Cities Daily Planet
>>> (Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota)
>>>
>>> by Madeleine Baran
>>>
>>> Poverty rights activists broke into at least a dozen vacant
>>> Minneapolis buildings this week and helped homeless families move in.
>>>
>>> "This is the modern underground railroad," said Cheri Honkala,
>>> National Organizer for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights
>>> Campaign, the group organizing the "takeovers."
>>>
>>> This week's actions are part of a growing national movement to
>>> illegally open up thousands of vacant, foreclosed homes to provide
>>> housing for the growing number of homeless people. Over 3,000
>>> Minneapolis homes went into foreclosure in 2008. Advocates estimate
>>> that over 7,000 Minnesotans are homeless. Most Twin Cities' homeless
>>> shelters have been filled to capacity for months.
>>> ...
>>> /snip/
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> URBANTH-L mailing list
>>> URBANTH-L at lists.ysu.edu
>>> http://lists.ysu.edu/mailman/listinfo.cgi/urbanth-l
>>>
>>>
>>
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