Chinatown Justice Project

Chinatown is the home and workplace of thousands of Chinese immigrants and is the center of Chinese community life in New York City. With the largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere and home to over 84,000 people, Chinatown also contains some of the largest and last rent-stabilized housing stock in the City.

The majority of the people who live in Chinatown rent their apartments, living in overcrowded and dilapidated tenement buildings that are over one hundred years old. Since the mid- to late 1990s, there have been many changes in the community. Many long time low-income tenants are being forcibly evicted, as more and more young professionals see Chinatown as a central location to live. As the supply of affordable housing decreases throughout the City, developers gentrify the community, making it friendlier for those who can pay higher rents.

Gentrification pressures have only increased since September 11th, with the real estate industry looking at Chinatown as the "last frontier" for development in Manhattan. Because priority has not been given to equitable and inclusive development, there is a serious risk of large-scale displacement for the thousands of low-income residents who currently live and work there, and along with it, increased harassment of youth in public spaces (e.g. parks) and small entrepreneurs (e.g. street vendors and merchants who cater to the working-poor).

Since 1999, CAAAV's Chinatown Justice Project has been addressing the conditions of poverty, gentrification, and the targeted practices and policies of the city and police that have historically besieged Chinatown. Based on results of its 1999-2000 community survey of Chinatown's low-income residents and building upon Chinatown's long history of resistance against racial violence and economic injustice, CJP has developed an anti-gentrification organizing project to be carried out through two strategies. Through its youth leadership development and organizer skills training program, CJP develops the leadership of young people to organize their community. By organizing low-income tenants and vendors, CJP seeks to protect Chinatown from displacement, build a healthy community environment with decent and affordable housing for all, and clean and safe streets.