The low-income residents of Washington Heights and Inwood
have traditionally played little direct role in policy
decisions or in the allocation of resources that affect
their daily lives. Most of these residents are recent
immigrants excluded from the civic life of their native
country and with scant experience in civic life here. Our
community-organizing department encourages community
members to get involved in their community and tackle
neighborhood issues on the city level.
We perform this work by supporting and training the Unión
Comunal de Washington Heights e Inwood (Washington Heights
and Inwood Community Union), an independent grassroots
organization with more than 2000 participants.
Over the years, the Unión Comunal has worked both on local
issues, such as obtaining building services from landlords
intent on displacing their low-income tenants, having the
Health Department inspect properties for rat infestation,
and encouraging the police to increase patrols against
drug traffickers in specific locations, and on City-wide
issues, such as passage of the City’s current Lead Paint
Law, and use of Battery Park City funds for low-income
housing.
