Last Rites for Leo House?
by Gloria Sukenick

The six-year fight for affordable housing at Leo House Annex, a Catholic residence for women since 1889, goes on. But on Dec. 5, the last three women remaining out of 28 tenants there held their final vigil in front of the building that has been their home for many years. The Chelsea community was there in big numbers, demonstrating the kind of support that has been apparent at each of the Christmas vigils that have been held in front of the West 23rd Street building.

Mary Ann Aitken, Catherine Klemann, and Georgia Upshaw have struggled for years, despite harassment and a lack of repairs and maintenance. They were trying not only to preserve their own homes, but to retain the affordable housing that is becoming such a rarity in Chelsea and the rest of the city. They have worked with the support of the Chelsea Coalition on Housing, Met Council, Community Board 4, the New York State Tenants and Neighbors Coalition, the West Side SRO Law Project, and many others. (Rep. Jerry Nadler, outgoing State Senator Catherine Abate and Senator-elect Tom Duane, Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Richard Gottfried, and Councilmember Margarita Lopez attended the Dec. 5 rally.)

The three women have found alternate housing, out of the neighborhood at much higher rents. The gentrification of Chelsea continues… it’s the new hot neighborhood!

The community, however, continues to advocate for some form of affordable housing at the Leo House site, between Eighth and Ninth avenues. There have been many meetings with Cardinal John O’Connor’s office. People have suggested that there may be city funding available for some form of affordable housing with nonprofit management. However, the owner seems to be planning to convert the former residence into a for-profit tourist hotel. Cardinal O’Connor was on the Leo House board when this struggle began, but shortly thereafter he resigned. His office makes it clear that there is no financial connection between Leo House and the archdiocese, so he can only offer suggestions to the board.

Another meeting with the archdiocese is planned for January.