Buildings Sit Vacant for up to 30 Years, Homeless Advocates Push for Habitation

August 25, 2010, 12:18pm

by Tara Kyle

Advocacy group Picture the Homeless toured vacant properties

Tuesday night to call attention to the plight of the homeless.

MIDTOWN In the heart of Midtown, across from Madison Square Garden, the James Farley Post Office, and Brother Jimmy’s BBQ, the first floor of 411-413 Eighth Avenue hosts a pizza place. But the three upper levels are all empty.

They’ve been that way since 1979, according to Picture the Homeless, an advocacy group that staged a tour of vacant properties in Chelsea and Midtown West

Tuesday night, in an effort to send a message to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Arvernetta Henry: When this particular party said “There isn't any vacant property available for the homeless population. That's why you have to be in the shelter system.” Well, she was talking to the wrong group of members!

I never thought I would be sleeping out in the rain, on the ground, on an air mattress, camping out, because this person owned this building and it had been vacant for many, many, many, many years, in a very popular district. And we called the media, we called other organizations that supported us.

I said, “I wanted to do something new” and this was something exciting and new to me. I said, “I always liked camping!” But this was different. This was at night in the city street! I had so much fun, and people came and asked us why we were doing this. We gained respect from the people that was in the community, because they were educated. They found out who owned that building and they was surprised. They opened up their store to us, and they brought us food! Oh my! We had so much food! They allowed us to use their establishment, to go in and wash up, and go to the bathroom.

When they understood why we were out there and realized that, “Well all these people, they are not bad people! They're just asking for housing!” And when we would go to the streets and stay overnight… It brought attention to the main populations to say, “We have to get involved. We may not have to stay overnight, but we're going to support you.”