Posted on 04/29/2018 2:21:16 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
BUFFALO, N.Y. Down a flight of stairs and below Delaware Avenue is one of the gay community's most iconic bars.
Underground, through different ownerships and names, has been a welcoming place to Buffalo's LGBTQ community for nearly 40 years.
"There's a feeling here that is so reminiscent of Cheers that we've all seen on television, and everyone knows each other's name, said Edward Williams, a longtime patron.
But the decades of comradery will come to an end Sunday, April 29, when Underground closes its doors at 274 Delaware.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would not renew the business' lease. HUD subsidizes the low-income senior apartments above the building.
"Most of the people in here know each other. We feel safe with one another. We are a family, and we're losing our home, said another longtime patron, Omar Parra.
HUD spokesperson Charles McNally issued the following statement:
While HUD recognizes the community sentiment surrounding the closure of The Undergound, the Departments primary duty is to provide safe and decent housing for low-income seniors. Resident complaints detailed excessive noise and *police activity* that were directly impacting their quality of life. After careful consideration, HUD instructed the owner of Touraine Apartments to seek a commercial tenant more beneficial for the buildings residents.
Channel 2 asked for paperwork of those complaints, and received just three, which detailed things like noise, loitering and smoke. The building has 104 tenants.
(Excerpt) Read more at wgrz.com ...
If I posted the headline as is, few people would know what the article was really about.
Original Headline:
"We're losing our home:' LGBTQ+ community mourns loss of iconic bar Underground
Also the article is somewhat ambiguous.
The article states HUD would would "not renew the business' lease." It then goes on to say "HUD subsidizes the low-income senior apartments above the building."
Was the lease to the low-income senior apartments included or separate from the LGBTQ bar lease?
Pulled in 3, 2, 1...
Homosexuals
Bisexuals
Transgenders
Miscellaneous Practices
Why do Lesbians get double billing. A woman on woman situation, is a homosexual situation. And Q? What the hell is that?
I suggest a new acronym, HoBi TraMPs...
The article is written by a reporter who does not understand HUD subsidies.
If the owner of the building receives a section 8 subsidy any sub-leases would be subject to HUD regulation.
In that case HUD is not leasing the building and is not sub-leasing to the bar.
However, HUD can regulate what it subsidizes.
It sounds like the tenants complained to HUD who then contacted the building owner—and told the building owner to terminate the sub-lease.
HUD would not own the building or sub-lease any portion of it.
Leave it to HUD to transform it’s purpose from helping the poor with housing to paying for a gay bar!
It’s like saying panini sandwich or cipollini onions.
It’s been obvious for many years that HUD doesn’t like whole families.
HUD is the housing version of school busing.
That's funny, the media regularly trumpets complaints about everything from smoking (after they could sell ads) to bad language.
Statutes come falling down, businesses get shuttered.
All because of one complaint.
Sorry, HUD should never subsidize anything, much less a commercial business.
Mine is “The:She=He=It Movement”
“and everyone knows each other’s name”
What, do they have name tags on their anuses?
Wotta shame. Too bad.
The character “Woody” at this club is not a bartender.
Have to suck d**k somewhere else.
Should have been pronounced Hobby Tramps.
Probably should have suggested that.
I’m getting into panini sandwiches, but some folks have latched on to the name and aren’t producing the same type of sandwich others are.
I like the doughy pocket ones.
Again, I should have suggested the pronunciation for mine. It would be Hobby Tramps.
Yours is good too.
Ok, I get it now. Thanks.
That would be covered under my Miscellaneous Practices category.
Hobby Tramps
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