Tenants across the Bronx are facing a grim reality as they grapple with living conditions that range from lacking in basic amenities to outright hazardous. Residents at 655 Burke Avenue in Williamsbridge are managing without consistent heat and dealing with malfunctioning equipment, as pointed out in an article by ABC7 New York. The elevator, crucial for elderly tenants like the 93-year-old aunt of resident Benjamin Tifa, has reportedly not been in service for months. "This is hazardous conditions for her to be living in," Tifa told ABC7 New York.
The building’s residents have had to also rely on portable stoves due to an absence of gas, and have alleged to discover holes in the building through which rats have made their way into their homes. Howard Kohn of F&M Management, addressing these claims, insisted to ABC7 New York, "I'm no slumlord," despite the city noting 325 violations against the landlord.
Meanwhile, just weeks after a partial building collapse in Morris Heights, tenants at 1915 Billinglsey Terrace are still reeling from displacement and looting incidents, as covered by NBC New York. Following the Dec. 11 collapse, which was captured on video showing pedestrians narrowly escaping falling debris, nearly 140 residents were left homeless, the debris piling up to 12 feet high in some places.
In the aftermath, tenants have filed a lawsuit to not only speed up repairs but also to address long-standing issues of insufficient security and general neglect. Diana Vargas, one of the residents forced to live out of a hotel, expressed her frustration to NBC New York, saying, "We have to share a bathroom, and a half kitchen -- only a sink and microwave. I can't cook." The legal complaint accuses the landlords of "blatantly illegal behavior" and contends that they coerced tenants to agree that apartment conditions were satisfactory in exchange for keys to their units.
Zoe Kheyman, a staff attorney for Legal Aid’s Civil Practice, highlighted the severity of the circumstances surrounding 1915 Billingsley stating, "Our clients and all tenants of 1915 Billingsley have suffered tremendously at the hands of their landlord – however, their hardships did not begin when the building partially collapsed, but years before that as the unsafe conditions of the building worsened," as reported by NBC New York. The lawsuit further seeks to ensure that while repairs are made, the safety of those families who remain in the building is not compromised by possible exposure to hazardous materials like lead dust and mold.
