Stop UHAB's eviction of Alfredo Barreto

To:  UHAB

The Lower East Side once was a haven for squatters who championed the rights of homeless and mentally handicapped individuals to occupy buildings. Today, however, those same squatters, made powerful by a City's generosity, pull the same stunts they formerly attributed to greedy landlords.

Such is the case with Alfredo Barreto, a 47-year-old mentally handicapped Latino man born and raised on the Lower East Side. Barreto, who has lived quietly at the squat on 7 ½ Second Avenue for 7 years, now faces homelessness as his former comrades become property owners who stand to benefit from the sale of his apartment.

“This is the latest phase of gentrification on the Lower East Side,” says Howard Hemsley, Alfredo's court-appointed guardian and community activist. “As a mentally handicapped man Alfredo was never a part of the clique at this squat, but we never expected he would be treated to this kind of hypocritical brutality. They've gone from embracing the rights of all to housing to forcing someone with just as much right as they under the law into homelessness.”

In 2002, the City of New York transferred title for one dollar to 7 ½ Second Avenue to UHAB, a not-for-profit organization that creates tenant-owned cooperative apartments. One might think that would make the squatter-residents appreciate generosity. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. As the holiday season begins, Alfredo Barreto, is being evicted by his neighbors and UHAB. UHAB's excuse for taking Mr. Barreto’s apartment and selling it is a dispute with the apartment's previous tenant, a dispute that has nothing to do with Alfredo, who tended to his cats and caused no trouble. UHAB has refused to even consider giving Alfredo a rental apartment in one of the many units it manages.

“We were so proud and happy that Alfredo could live on his own,” said his mother. “It’s a dream our family has had — that Alfredo could be a functioning adult, living in his own place. I guess that doesn’t mean anything to UHAB.”

“I’ve looked and looked on the Lower East Side, “said Howard Hemsley, Alfredo’s court-appointed guardian. “A disabled man on SSI is completely priced out of the private housing market. He will be homeless or end up renting a tiny corner of someone else’s apartment or adjusting to a new neighborhood, far away from the one he knows. It’s criminal that the people who benefited from the City’s generosity could in turn be so stony-hearted with a man like Alfredo Barreto.”

Lower East Side residents are rallying to Barreto's cause. This Thursday they will be outside the offices of UHAB, calling on UHAB to remedy this situation. “UHAB has apartments all over the city and they could help Alfredo rather than turning him out. Even if they won't let him remain a resident where he's been for 7 years, they should at least offer him housing somewhere else,” says Ray Cline, East Village neighbor and advocate.

We call upon The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) to cease its unfair eviction proceedings against disabled longtime resident Alfredo Barreto. Failing that, we call upon UHAB to provide equivalent housing on the Lower East Side for Mr. Barreto immediately.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Stop UHAB's eviction of Alfredo Barreto Petition to UHAB was created by and written by Paul Newell (paul@newellnyc.org).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.