Gentrification

Over the past few years, the Lower East Side has been undergoing the process a gentrification, something to which the Puerto Rican community has been voiced their adamant opposition. The gentrification has caused an increase in housing prices, forcing thousands of Puerto Ricans to leave their homes in search of more affordable options [1]. The Puerto Ricans were barred from these blocs, were only permitted to live there after demonstrations and protests from Puerto Rican politicians. The situation did not improve, but rather continues to deteriorate throughout the 1960s and1970s. The Puerto Ricans were still facing discriminatory housing laws. Middle income housing co-ops in the southern end of the neighborhood would choose against renting to Puerto Rican buyers. Additionally, when new housing was created in the area below the Williamsburg Bridge, the Puerto Ricans had to fight for affordable housing to be created, and unfortunately they were not entirely successful. These discriminatory acts kept the Puerto Ricans community confined to the low quality tenement housing that was characteristic of the Lower East Side[2].

The Puerto Ricans of the Loisanda decided it was time to take up some type of political action against the housing issues. Their goal was to make the Lower East Side an inclusive area for the working class, and to keep the integrity of the Puerto Rican culture. Projects were funded by federal non-profits and settlements houses to help contribute to this new low-income housing. Certain organizations were granted rights for “homesteading”; a type of legalized squatting where an institution would organize a group of prospective renters and then performs renovations and grant these [3].