SHAPING THE FIGURE AND THE GROUND :
HOUSING WORKS

Photograph by Van Dalen from Housing Works Archive

Photograph from Housing Works Archive

Photograph by New York Times

What is a house? A house is a personal space, protection, and a respite. Yet, it cannot singularly circumscribe everything else that humans need to survive. Housing Works is a non-governmental organisation that recognizes a house as the foundational necessity for human survival, with its slogan "Housing is Healthcare"^[1]. Human welfare and human wellness, however, are two distinct concepts. Housing Works presents a model for architecture that goes beyond formal and technical elements. By re-configuring non-physical entities, such as mental well-being and job stability, they provide a spatial solution to pressing social problems. Such a paradigm shift not only shapes the urban physical ‘ground’ but also empowers individuals (’figure’) to become the ‘sound’ humans who can reestablish a normal life.

Housing Works is a group that originated from ACT UP^[2]. Instead of seeking a single solution to the city's housing crisis, they focused their resources on rehabilitating a small group of 'high-risk people' (mostly people of colour) suffering from HIV/AIDS and homelessness. What they did differently was not just provide shelter. They advocated for better legislation, fought for fair treatment, organised rallies, and spread awareness. They were trying to rehabilitate not only the people but also the conditions of the society, where providing welfare for a homeless person actually creates wellness for them. Awan, Schneider and Till^[3] talk about an accepted ‘centre’ which shapes social terrains. In reference to that, the work done by Housing Works is significant as they are trying to undo a socially terraformed landscape which currently fits the preferences of that ‘centre’. The architectural intervention that added the most value to their enterprise was their scattered housing facilities. Rather than creating isolated housing projects, they rented or leased apartment buildings in regular neighbourhoods, giving the 'sick’ a chance at a normal life. This proposal was obviously met with opposition from ‘other’ residents in the neighbourhood. For instance, In 1993, the Community 2 board^[4]in Greenwich Village expressed deep concerns when Housing Works announced their transitional housing facility in their neighbourhood. Nevertheless, Housing Works has aggressively campaigned for and managed impressive interventions like the Keith D. Cylar house, which sits on East 9th Street, a mixed but still predominantly white neighbourhood^[5].

Housing Works also raised the stakes for the people they were helping. They developed a system that integrated their clients and provided them with work opportunities through ventures all over the city. It included thrift stores, bookstores, cafes, healthcare centres, workshops, and more, giving them a chance to live with dignity. Without such opportunities, as the 'broken window theory'^[6]suggests, there is always a high probability for the houses to fall back into disrepair and for their residents to relapse into harmful behaviours, with no means of sustaining their new and dignified lives.
When Housing Works claimed that "Housing is Healthcare", they recognized the power of architecture to rehabilitate stigmatised groups by providing them with housing. Housing Works acts as a spatial agent, negotiating existing social conditions to create meaningful change^[7]. They are not simply a reactionary group, but rather a carefully curated response to the issue of HIV/AIDS and homelessness.

Footnotes
[1] Housing works. “About Us.” Accessed July 20, 2023. https://www.housingworks.org/about-us.

[2] “The ACT UP Historical Archive: ACT UP New York.” Accessed July 20, 2023. https://actupny.org/.

[3] Awan, Nishat, Tatjana Schneider, and Jeremy Till. Spatial Agency: Other Ways of Doing Architecture. 1st Edition., 2011. https://www-taylorfrancis-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/books/mono/10.4324/9781315881249/spatial-agency-ways-architecture-jeremy-till-tatjana-schneider-nishat-awan.

[4] Herzog, Nina. “Not In My Backyard.” Thresholds, no. 6 (1993): 2–5. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43875869.

[5] Niche. “East Village Demographics and Statistics.” Accessed July 20, 2023. https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/east-village-new-york-city-ny/residents/.

[6] “Broken Windows Theory | Description & Results | Britannica.” Accessed July 20, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/topic/broken-windows-theory.

[7] Awan, Nishat, Tatjana Schneider, and Jeremy Till. Spatial Agency: Other Ways of Doing Architecture.

Bibliography
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Louie, Elaine. “CURRENTS; A Twist on Thrift.” The New York Times, February 17, 1994, sec. Home & Garden.
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Newman, Andy. “Nearly 2,600 Apartments for Mentally Ill and Homeless People Sit Vacant.” The New York Times, November 4, 2022, sec. New York.
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“The ACT UP Historical Archive: ACT UP New York.” Accessed July 20, 2023.
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N.d. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/sbs/downloads/pdf/neighborhoods/avenyc-cdna-eastvillage.pdf.

mixed media