The Irsv Blog

Last March, a tenant organizer on the west side handed me a three-inch binder. Fourteen months of repair requests. Photos of black mold climbing a bathroom wall. Copies of certified letters the landlord ignored. A spreadsheet tracking which units got rent increase notices versus which had working heat. She’d been collecting since the building changed … Read moreHow to Turn a Year of Landlord Records Into a Story Your Council Member Can’t Ignore

I’ve walked past that empty lot on the corner of Mopani Street for years. Weeds, broken bottles, the usual spot where people dump what they don’t want. But I don’t see that. I see tomatoes, spinach, and a place where neighbours might actually stop and talk. If you’ve ever looked at a piece of vacant … Read moreHow to Start a Community Garden on Vacant Land

There’s a patch of dirt on your block that’s been sitting empty for years. Maybe it’s where a house burned down, or just a scraggly side yard between two buildings nobody claims. Grass grows knee-high, then turns brown. People walk past it every day without a second look. But you see something else. You see … Read moreHow to Turn an Empty Lot into a Neighborhood Garden

I remember the first time I really looked at that empty lot on Mpho Street. Hard-packed dirt, shards of broken glass, and a handful of weeds that refused to give up. Most folks walked past and saw a mess. I saw a place where my neighbours could grow spinach, tomatoes, and something harder to name—a … Read moreTurning a Vacant Lot into a Neighbourhood Garden: Patricia Ndlovu’s Straightforward Guide

I still remember the first time I stood on that corner lot. Weeds pushing through cracks in the asphalt. A rusted shopping cart tipped on its side. Someone had dumped a bag of fast-food trash that looked like it had been there since winter. Most people walked by without a glance. But a few of … Read moreHow to Turn an Empty Lot into a Garden That Feeds the Neighborhood

Why That Empty Lot Matters Every neighborhood has one—a patch of dirt that’s been sitting there for years, growing nothing but weeds and maybe a few old tires. It’s easy to walk past and not think twice. But with a little sweat and a few neighbors who care, that same spot can become something entirely … Read moreHow to Turn an Empty Lot Into a Neighborhood Garden

Why Vacant Land Is a Community Asset Waiting to Happen Every neighbourhood has that one patch of land. It sits behind a rusted fence, overgrown with weeds, collecting litter and sometimes, unfortunately, trouble. For years, residents walk past it wishing something better could take root. A community garden can be that something. It turns a … Read moreHow to Start a Community Garden on Vacant Land: A Neighbourhood Guide

I’ve walked past the lot on the corner of Maple and 5th for years. It was a patch of hard-packed dirt, a magnet for weeds and the occasional dumped mattress. Last spring, it became something else entirely: a source of collard greens, tomatoes, and a gathering spot for neighbors who had never said more than … Read moreHow to Turn That Empty Lot on Your Block into a Garden That Feeds Everyone

You know that empty lot on the corner—the one where weeds bully their way through cracked concrete and the only visitors toss fast-food bags out car windows. I’ve walked past places like that for years, and I’ve learned something: underneath all that neglect, there’s soil waiting to feed a neighborhood. I’m Patricia Ndlovu, and for … Read moreHow to Turn a Vacant Lot into a Neighborhood Garden That Lasts

There’s a patch of land in your neighborhood that’s been sitting empty for years. Maybe it’s overgrown with weeds, or maybe it’s just bare dirt collecting fast-food wrappers. You walk past it and think, “Someone should do something with that.” Well, that someone could be you. Turning a vacant lot into a community garden isn’t … Read moreHow to Turn a Vacant Lot into a Community Garden