South Jamaica hit hard by foreclosures

An area in South Jamaica, Queens is the
center of the city’s foreclosure crisis. At 118th Avenue and 153rd Street, 28 percent of the homes
have been in some phase of foreclosure since 2004, and its census tract leads
the city in foreclosure filings. Residents say the foreclosures have stalled
the neighborhood’s progress. Two years ago, most homes were occupied and the
neighborhood was making strides against drugs, violence and abandonment. Now,
property values are decreasing, crime is increasing and small businesses are
struggling.