In 1994, I returned to my beloved Loisaida (Lower East Side) after graduating from Binghamton University. I was a young professional, full of dreams, working at the United Nations and enjoying the energy of New York City. But my future, like that of other families living at 204 Avenue A, was overshadowed by the harsh reality of our home — a severely neglected building in Alphabet City that was literally falling apart. Conditions became so dangerous that the building made the news.
The story of 204 Avenue A is rooted in New York City’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, when many landlords abandoned their buildings, forcing the city to take ownership. In response, the city established the Interim Lease Apartment Purchase Program (TIL), giving tenants in city-owned buildings the opportunity to form and manage low-income housing cooperatives and eventually become homeowners.
For the seven families determined to remain in a neighborhood where housing costs continued to rise, this was more than a housing program — it was a test of endurance. Although the city had owned the building since 1976 and enrolled it in TIL in 2001, decades of neglect culminated in the evacuation of the building in 2008, when it was declared uninhabitable.
That is why standing beside Dina Levy, commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), community leaders, and elected officials a few weeks ago was so emotional. After 18 years of displacement, seven original families — or their descendants — along with three new families, were finally returning to a completely rebuilt 204 Avenue A as homeowners. We also celebrate the success of the tenants of our sister building at 535 East 12th Street, whose perseverance made a similar dream possible.
Our journey began when the late tenant organizer Carmen Rubio of Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) knocked on our doors to tell us about a program that could turn tenants into owners. From that moment, our struggle became a story of neighbors fighting together for their future.
Many people helped make that vision a reality. Juan Barahona of SMJ Development, former Council Member Rosie Mendez, Council Member Carlina Rivera, and countless others championed our cause. Community leaders and neighbors — including Carmen Rubio, Margaret Durham, Estervina Cuperes, William Keane Jr., and Carmen Collado — became the backbone of our effort. After entering the program in 1996, we spent years making countless trips to HPD headquarters at 100 Gold Street, determined not to let bureaucracy defeat us.
In a city often defined by complex red tape, HPD remained committed to the tenants. When our building was evacuated, the agency relocated families within the neighborhood and stayed committed to rebuilding 204 Avenue A. Today, each family can become a homeowner by purchasing a share in the cooperative for just $2,500 — a life-changing opportunity in one of New York City’s most iconic neighborhoods.
The road, however, was anything but easy. Four mayoral administrations came and went, each facing different priorities and challenges .By 2016, meaningful momentum finally arrived. Mayor Bill de Blasio’s housing plan helped secure the funding needed to rebuild, while Council Member Rosie Mendez continued advocating tirelessly on our behalf.
There were moments when even my own family and friends doubted this day would ever come. Some believed the project was simply too good to be true; others thought I might only see its completion in old age. The journey was filled with setbacks, uncertainty, and disappointment. Yet we refused to abandon our goal.
As we celebrate this achievement, we must also honor those who are no longer with us, including Juan Rivera, Virginia Rivera, Scott Lent, Robert Funk, and our dear friend Margaret Durham. Margaret often reminded us, “Don’t give up. Keep your eyes on the prize.” Those words sustained us through nearly three decades of struggle.
Today, they have become reality. We have secured the opportunity to remain in the community we love — not as renters, but as homeowners. Just as importantly, the descendants of those who did not live to see this day have inherited more than a home. They have inherited stability, protection from housing insecurity, and an opportunity for economic advancement that can benefit generations to come.
The story of 204 Avenue A reflects the experiences of many buildings throughout the East Village and New York City. It reminds us that lasting change requires persistence, unity and hope. As Commissioner Levy affirmed, New York City remains committed to helping people stay in the neighborhoods they call home.
Today, 204 Avenue A stands as a testament to what a community of Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and their allies can accomplish through determination, resilience, and collective action. What once seemed impossible has become a lasting symbol of a neighborhood that refused to give up — and finally claimed its place at home.
Juan R. Santiago is a lifelong New Yorker and tenants’ rights advocate.
