to the threat posed by Mayor Bill de Blasio’ s Housing Plan. In January 2015, NYC’ s Department of Housing Preservation and Development( HPD) quietly published a list of 181“ vacant” properties that intended for sale for $ 1 to housing developers. We read the it. Cross-referencing its list with the LivingLotsNYC. org database, we learned that 18 of the lots offered for sale were active community gardens and farms. We sounded the alarm: we told the NYC Parks Department, called the stewards of the impacted sites, informed
City Council Members of the proposed garden-closings in their districts, activated our partners in the gardening and greening communities, and published a list and map of these threatened community spaces.
In February, over 150 New Yorkers rallied on the steps of City Hall, joined by City Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Robert Cornegy. What followed was a yearlong campaign that included community boards, City Council and advocates in every level of the administration.
ANNUAL REPORT 2016
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