Camden residents rally against abandoned houses

by Ernest Hoh

Reprinted from the Winter 2009 issue of Camden Speaks

Pat Gibson from Liberty Park and Marianna Emanuele from Centerville join a Cramer Hill resident in holding signs. Photo by Angela Emanuele.

A sorry-looking abandoned property in the middle of the 900 block of North 25th Street in Cramer Hill greeted Camden United (CU) members on late Saturday morning, October 18, as they arrived to set up for a street demonstration to protest the lack of action on the plight of our city neighborhoods. The house, a substantial building, boarded up and in need of a face lifting, called to mind many similar buildings which house four apartment units. This one instead remains neglected, allowed to deteriorate, wasting away and depressing the entire neighborhood.

The property has no caring owner and is not for sale. At least one interested buyer has been denied. Rather the property has been left to become an overgrown, dilapidated dumping ground for unwanted tires and other debris. Directly across the street is a second property, empty and rapidly decaying. Together these two properties depress the otherwise inviting neighborhood, eight or 10 well-kept houses and yards.

The protesters hung banners and posted several placards demanding attention and, more important, something done to alleviate these eyesores. By noon a dozen other demonstrators had assembled and a handful of neighbors came to applaud the messages.

Speakers included Marianna Emanuele, Pastor Carol Book of nearby Christus Lutheran Church, Mary Cortes, Tom Knoche and Pastor Margaret Herz-Lane. A local merchant, Bill Holscher, spoke of his growing up on this same block as a boy and volunteered his support.

The total absence of the local media was disappointing. Though invited, none chose to attend and no-one accepted the press release issued at the rally for print or broadcast.

What Was Said

Speaking for Camden United, Marianna Emanuele asked the question, “Why, after six and a half years of New Jersey state oversight, are there still thousands of abandoned, deteriorating properties and nothing being done to revitalize the neighborhoods?”

Pastor Margaret Herz-Lane, who lives in Cramer Hill, speaks at the October18 rally in front of an abandoned building. Photo by Angela Emanuele.

Pastor Margaret Herz-Lane spoke movingly concerning the state granted funds which have not been spent bringing up the several neighborhoods. She pointed to neighborhood improvements which have been accomplished but denied the state administration credit for these improvements, citing other sources of the money to achieve these goals.

Pastor Carol Book recounted the promises made to the neighborhood exactly one year earlier after a drug-related shooting on the block that had started by one of the neglected houses. She cited the failure of the current administration to do anything to alleviate the problem of these abandoned buildings attracting drug users and sellers.

Cramer Hill resident Michael Hagan attributed the recent demolition of two egregious properties in the neighborhood to the efforts of Camden United. These properties at the end of the 1100 block of North 32nd St had suffered from a recent fire — the last of a succession of fires over the nearly 20 years they had been unoccupied.

Other supporters of Camden United presented four specific demands to Camden city government and Chief Operating Officer Judge Theodore Davis at the rally:

1. taking possession of all abandoned houses that are privately-owned,
2. demolition of all buildings that are beyond repair,
3. selling of vacant houses and lots for rehabilitation and for in-fill new construction and
4. calling on Judge Davis to attend an evening community meeting with Camden residents

Camden United believes nothing short of absolute commitment of Judge Theodore Davis and the state administration to neighborhood revitalization can turn Camden around. What we hope to see is this vitalization oriented to serve all Camden residents.

Historically, Camden has been a laboring town, residences for the working families serving the shipyards, soup factories, dry goods, phonographs, communications, fountain pens, leather tanning and transportation. That Camden is gone with the changing times: revitalization today must include the residue of the historic Camden, not only the needs and pleasures of the surrounding suburban communities.