In this interview Lynn Lewis, a longtime organizer with the Cooper Square Community Land Trust, Picture the Homeless, and other housing justice initiatives in New York City, shares her journey, starting with her upbringing on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where she was raised by her maternal grandparents. Despite the region's conservatism, Lynn recalls a happy childhood and became the first in her family to attend college, enrolling at Washington College.
After connecting with family in California and participating in protests in Washington, D.C., Lynn moved to New York City’s Rockaways with her then-boyfriend. She attended Empire State College and began meeting people from diverse backgrounds, including during her time writing poetry at Alex Harsley’s photography gallery. These experiences eventually led her to Cooper Square, where activist Frances Goldin encouraged her to take on a greater organizing role in the neighborhood.
Lynn's work with the Cooper Square CLT expanded to Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution, where she documented the needs of local communities to raise funds in New York, ultimately securing resources for a preschool in Chagüitillo. Her time in Nicaragua deepened her sense of community and connection, particularly through her daughter’s swift adaptation to Spanish and local life.
Returning to New York, Lynn faced housing challenges that shaped her activism further. After losing her Cooper Square apartment and moving to Florida, she joined Picture the Homeless, spearheading vacancy counts in New York alongside urban planners Tom Angotti and Peter Marcuse. These efforts raised critical awareness about the city’s housing crisis.
Lynn discusses the formation of the East Harlem/El Barrio Community Land Trust, supported by Community Board 11, and highlights the collaborative efforts of various individuals in establishing the CLT. She reflects on the instrumental role of Picture the Homeless members, particularly their work conducting vacancy counts and laying the groundwork for the CLT in East Harlem. Despite their pivotal contributions, Lynn notes that many members did not secure housing through the initiative, explaining the rationale behind New York City’s housing lottery system and its implications for equitable access.
While reflecting on the foundational principles of organizing, Lynn emphasizes how selflessness and prioritizing community are at the heart of true democracy. Drawing from her experience as a tenant and board member of the Cooper Square Community Land Trust (CLT), Lynn recalls some tensions within the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association (MHA) and the Cooper Square CLT. She highlights the importance of fostering dialogue and navigating differing perspectives while organizing.
Lynn also explains how Cooper Square’s CLT serves as a repository of collective knowledge and memory, demonstrating the value of preserving and advancing the movement. She contrasts her experiences at Cooper Square with her work in East Harlem’s Community Land Trust, where she encountered distinct interpretations of tenant self-interest and the challenges tied to replicating success stories like Cooper Square’s.
To conclude, Lynn offers advice to future generations of organizers, urging them to recognize and honor the struggles and sacrifices of their predecessors. She underscores the importance of sustaining this legacy to enable future movements to thrive for the greater good.