Ana Brigida Moreira Mendes: I got an internship with Magnum in New York last year, so I left Portugal and ended up living in the Bronx opposite this massive block of flats. Its outside walls were covered in bullet holes, which made me curious, so I just started asking around the neighbourhood about it. In the end, Michael Kamber from The Bronx Documentary Center introduced me to the local parish priest who told me about this organization called Manhattan Together and got me in touch with Marielys Divanne who works with them. And that's how it started. What does Manhattan Together do, exactly?
It's an organization that's been working to get the residents of Manhattan to better their communities. At some point they realized that one particular housing block was decaying so badly that it was actually interfering with its residents' health. They got to knocking on doors, trying to get the details of each tenant, find out whether it was mold or infiltration and pinpoint if residents' respiratory problems derived from it, but they couldn't get a good sense of the scale of the issue. That's where I came in, taking pictures of the damages and portraits of the people that could function as proof when they sued the New York City Housing Authority last December.
Well, when you have to deal with public housing, the main problem is bureaucracy. Once you report a problem—let's say there's water leaking from your ceiling—it can take them up to two years to get it fixed. Imagine how sick a person can get surrounded by mold for two years. What are the most common type of illnesses you came across?
It's mainly asthma, but I also met a person who was diagnosed with mold in the skin. I don't even know how that's possible; she doesn't know how it's possible, either.Why are your photos mostly of women?
Oh, that's purely circumstantial. I visited during the day, when the men were at work. Also, the children would often be there because, in some cases, they are too sick to go to school. Then again, staying at home worsens their ailments. The parents don't know what to do.
In the beginning, Marielys Divanne would take me with her and introduce me to everyone and I'd take a few pictures, but I soon realized that if I wanted to get the complete story, I would have to spend more time with these people. Everyone would tell me that I shouldn't go there alone because of the gangs, and there have been a few cases of rape. As you can understand, for a stranger with a camera, the situation might not seem the most welcoming, but the people were. I was absolutely fine—I didn't face any problems.
Well, Manhattan Together went public with the issue in December and the last thing I heard was that they were looking to transfer some of the worst cases to another place, but the NYCHA hasn't done anything.
In my opinion, it would need a lot of work to get those places running properly again. In some cases, I can't even understand how anyone can live there—some people live under completely open ceilings. There's this photograph of a man in his living room and he's got a part of the wall covered in a plastic bag, and when he takes the plastic off a river of water starts running out. You can see all the wires in the wall if you look through the hole. It's so terrible and dangerous. Did you exhibit the photographs?
Yes. We put on an exhibition at the Bronx Documentary Center in New York. The funny thing is that when I would first enter each house, the people would be a little bit shy about the issue or too embarrassed about the state of their homes. They all came for the exhibition, though. People would point at their pictures and show them to their friends, which I think is great because it brought everyone together. It created a sense of community, so now they actually fight for their cause. Well, that's inspiring. Thanks, Ana.
Luz Ortiz has mold in her bathroom and was diagnosed with asthma. Morris Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Maribette Cortes and three other family members suffer from asthma. There is mold in her bathroom. Melrose Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Omayra Gomez has mold in the bathroom and in her kitchen. Her 13-year-old daughter has asthma. Omayra has leukemia. Wagner Houses, Lower East Side, NY, 2012.
Maria Rosario has lived with mold for 10 years in the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. She has been diagnosed with asthma. Melrose Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Ana Nunez has mold and mildew in her bathroom and has waited for four years to get the problem fixed. She has fallen twice in the night on standing water in her hallway. Gompers Houses, Lower East Side, NY, 2012.
Tristen Davquez lives in a house exposed with mold and cockroaches. He was diagnosed with asthma and needs to use the machine every day. Bronx, NY, 2012.
View from Melrose Projects. Bronx, NY, 2012.
Oscar Cruz has been living in these conditions for more than 10 years. Oscar and most of his family members that live in the house suffer from asthma and other respiratory allergies. Webster Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Shakisha, 27 years old, has been diagnosed with mold inside her body. Her house has infiltration problems in the bathroom and in the living room. Jackson Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Alicia Moore’s bathroom. She has been waiting three years for NYCHA to fix the hole in her bathroom. Melrose Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Bienvenido Abinader’s bathroom, Webster Av., Bronx, NY, 2012.
Gloria Diaz is diagnosed with asthma and other allergies. The kitchen has an exposed hole, the bathroom has mildew and her apartment’s walls are deteriorating. Baruch Houses, Lower East Side, NY, 2012.
Aurelinda de Marine, diagnosed with asthma and other allergies. Her living room, bathroom and bedroom have holes and mildew. Her six-year-old great granddaughter also has asthma. Wald Houses, Lower East Side, NY, 2012.
Alicia’s Moore’s daughter, Tiffany, 13 years old, diagnosed with lead in her body. Melrose Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Susana, 16 years old, diagnosed with asthma. Living with mold for 10 years in the bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms. Melrose Houses, Bronx, NY, 2012.
Vanessa has lived with her family in the houses for 14 years and NYCHA never came to fix any problems. They have mold in the bathroom, cockroaches in the kitchen and mildew in the corridor. Bronx, NY, 2012.
Sonia Nunez’s bathroom. Grant Houses, Lower East Side, NY, 2012.
