One priest's vision continues to give hope to low-income families in Harlem

October 1, 12:47 PMNY Roman Catholic ExaminerMichael LaPenna

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In the late 1980s, Father Robert Lott saw a need unmet. The city of New York had left a certain set of 99 housing units on Harlem's East 131st Street to be abandoned, trash-laden and generally slovenly kept for some time and, at the time, it was selling the properties for a dollar a piece. It was then that Father Lott bought the land that it would be a haven for those in need of shelter.

 Today the cluster of homes bears the name All Saints Housing and now face seeming indomitable competition from for-profit sellers in a time when even middle and upper income families are feeling the proverbial sting of the financial scorpions. Yet, hope is not without its warriors. Just two weeks ago, the once desolate properties which now include a playground were blessed by Archbishop Dolan and they after receiving at least 3,700 applications are expecting a number of tenants according to a report from this month's Catholic New York publication. Partners include Enterprise Community Partners Inc. who provided over 11 million dollars in services according to the same report. Those funds were added to various contributions by  J.P. Morgan Chase  the New York City Housing Development Corporation as well as the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development and various efforts from Father Lott's namesake the Lott Community Development Corporation (formerly the St. Francis de Sales Community Development Corporation named for Lott's perish on East 96th Street).

Father Lott died in 2002, but his legacy is indeed engraved into the souls of those he helped to house both spiritually and actually. In these arduous economic times, very many of us may feel as if the world is sinking, closing us in, darkening our sights and giving way to despair. We need only remember our brothers and sisters who fight daily just for a place to live with clean food and water--those without homes, jobs or caretakers for their children--and then we remember people like Father Lott and we smile--because to paraphrase St. Francis de Sales' own words, love must always find a worthy object. May Father Lott truly be such an object.