Who would have thought that building 17 apartments in Humboldt Park for people with AIDS would be such an ordeal?
Of course, any project that resembles public housing generates vehement opposition almost anywhere–be it city or suburb. But nerves are particularly frayed in Humboldt Park. “This is not about intolerance to people with AIDS,” says Kathy Phelps, a Humboldt Park resident and activist. “This is about too much subsidized housing for one community. Enough is enough.”
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According to Stuart Ferst, Anixter’s president, the apartments at Kedzie and Crystal–to be called Crystal Courts–were never intended to be anything other than homes for the disabled, to be built on a vacant lot purchased from the city at a nominal fee in 1992, when Gutierrez was still the local alderman. “We couldn’t or wouldn’t have purchased that land without Gutierrez’s support,” says Ferst. “He supported the project.”
Thus they went to Ocasio, who suddenly faced the kind of awkward choice politicians loathe. If he opposed Crystal Courts, he would look heartless. If he supported it, he would rekindle the rage against subsidized housing and remind everyone that he was Gutierrez’s handpicked successor. After all, it was Gutierrez, residents recalled, who allowed the CHA to scatter over 100 units of low-income housing throughout West Town and Humboldt Park. “Gutierrez promised to guarantee that at least half of the units were reserved for local residents, but when the time came to select tenants local residents didn’t get the units,” says Phelps. “The CHA said it had to satisfy the people on its waiting list first.”
In addition, Phelps says she’s not certain a separate building is good for people with AIDS. “I asked someone with AIDS, ‘Would you want to live there?’ At first she said yes, but then she said, ‘You know, I’m happy where I’m at. Nobody knows I have AIDS. If I move [to Crystal Courts] everyone will know I have AIDS. Other parents won’t let their kids play with my kids.’”
Phelps says Ocasio took her side because it out-organized CALOR and Anixter’s. “I don’t think they did a good job of organizing the community,” says Phelps. “They spent a lot of time lining up support from social service agencies and they forgot about Humboldt Park.”
In the meantime, Anixter’s contemplating a lawsuit. “I think this is a violation of people’s civil rights, and as a group we will be looking into that,” says Ferst. “This isn’t fair–everybody has the right to live where they wish.”
