BUILDING TAKEOVER UPDATE!

This morning, homeless people and community allies took over a vacant building in El Barrio/East Harlem. The target was a beautiful two-story building at the corner of Madison Avenue and 116th that has been vacant for decades.

Upon seizing control of the property, the occupiers determined that the building was structurally unsound, with a roof cave-in and significant floor damage, and that it was not safe to remain inside the building (earlier attempts to gain entrance to the building to assess the conditions had resulted in immediate unwanted police attention). The takeover crew left the building to join a crowd of hundreds of supporters who had braved the rain to hold a solidarity rally outside. See below for a few initial pictures - we have tons more on the way!

While we're sad that the occupation of the building could not be sustained, the sorry state of this beautiful building is just more proof that the City needs to prioritize development of vacant property into housing for low-income folks. A building like this would make an amazing community center, something El Barrio sorely needs.

So tomorrow night, we'll be turning the SIDEWALK into a community center! We'll be holding a SLEEP-OUT celebration outside the building, and we would love it if you could come! Bring poems and songs for a community cultural event; bring food and blankets and sleeping bags for yourself and to share with everyone else.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20th

STARTING AT 7PM

at MADISON AVENUE & 116th STREET

We are incredibly energized by the massive show of support from the El Barrio community and the entire city. This is the first step, not the last. The next one will be even bigger. The time is right for all of us to be stepping up out game and bringing our direct action strategies to the next level.

To everyone who was at the rally, taking pictures or shooting video or doing interviews with Picture the Homeless folks - if any of your stuff is posted online - blogs, social networking sites, etc - let us know! Send us links, copies, etc! We hope to pull together a clearing-house of links and clippings, to send around so everyone can see what went down today.

The scene outside the occupation, complete with our new decorating motif...

Picture the Homeless Housing Campaign Leader DeBoRah Dickerson speaks at the press conference.

Picture the Homeless Board Member Jean Rice takes a break from marshalling...

Props from the solidarity rally...