[URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors - to Break intoVacantHouses

Sara Saleri sara.saleri at gmail.com
Sun Feb 22 13:13:19 EST 2009


Dear All,

When I was living in Brussels I got to know this extremely interesting
initiative, aimed at using vacant spaces as (temporary) workplaces:
http://precare.citymined.org/Website/Precare/Main.php?Menu=1&O=1

Kind regards and thank you all for sharing all this information,

Sara

2009/2/20 Susan Mazur-Stommen <susanmazur at hotmail.com>

>
> Speaking of innovative solutions that involve the powers that be, social
> workers, and the un-behoused:
>
>
>
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> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/13/MNDVUALRV.DTL&feed=rss.news
>
>
>
>
>
> Susan Mazur-Stommen, Ph.D.
>
> Principal/Cultural Anthropologist
>
> Indicia Consulting
>
> Blog: Small Signs and Omens
>
> 00+1.951.686.1661
>
> susanmazur (skype)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > From: Hendrik.Pinxten at UGent.be
> > To: smaack at earthlink.net; urbanth-l at lists.ysu.edu;
> jancius3022 at comcast.net
> > Subject: Re: [URBANTH-L]NEWS: Neighbors Helping Neighbors - to Break
> intoVacantHouses
> > Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:04:34 +0100
> >
> > 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 and such -- 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/
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> >
> >
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-- 
Sara Saleri

PhD Candidate in Semiotics - University of Bologna - Italy
Visiting Research Student - SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) -
London - UK


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