The first warning was a knock on Vevelyn Diamond’s back door at about two in the morning. It was a man–Diamond doesn’t know who–crying “fire.” She and her husband, John, had been talking about the fire in the basement that had been extinguished only a few hours before. John flung open the front door, and the flames, which were leaping up the front stairwell, spread into the living room.
Police suspect arson, though they have made no arrests. The rehabbed building was inhabited by six-families–blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians. It’s owned by Voice of the People, a not-for-profit group that builds housing for the poor in Uptown. There are no apparent motives. Voice has no known enemies. Remarkably, its leaders have over the past two decades managed to rise above the mindless and futile battles of Uptown politics. Politicians of all ideologies praise them for their efforts.
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“Our greatest concern is for the families,” says Janet Hasz, community organizer for Voice. “We’ve relocated them to other Voice buildings. We’re collecting clothes for them. Anyone who wants to make a contribution of clothes or food can come by our headquarters [at 4927 North Kenmore] or call us at 769-2442.
At the time, the building was boarded up and abandoned. Voice bought it for about $30,000. Those were the days right before unbridled real estate speculation sent the cost of housing in Uptown soaring. “The building was a mess,” says Kleiber. “Part of its roof was missing. The wood was in bad shape. There were two illegal apartments in the basement. They had steam pipes running five feet above the floor. You had to duck when you were down there.
Until Wednesday, November 30, at about eight o’clock at night, when a resident smelled smoke. Some wood was burning in the basement, but fire fighters extinguished the fire before it spread. “Nobody suspected arson,” says Herman Enderle, the property manager for Voice. “It seemed a strange place to have a fire, but mostly everyone just congratulated themselves for putting it out. We were relieved that no one was hurt. No one knows who started it.”
The families spent that night in a motel. Saint Thomas of Canterbury, a local church, offered them food. The Red Cross provided cots, clothes, and blankets.
“I don’t have any idea who could have done this or why it was done,” says Diamond. “I tell you this. I lost everything. I lost furniture, dishes, you name it. And we don’t have insurance. It’s just gone. I hate to think where we’d be if it wasn’t for the Voice. This experience has made me realize how good they are. I guess that’s about the only good thing you can say came out of this.”
