For months, tenants at a four-story Bedford Avenue walk-up in Bedford-Stuyvesant say the front doors have not locked properly, leaving the lobby and stairwells open to anyone who wanders in. Neighbors describe strangers hanging out in the halls, people loitering on the stairs and even one person changing clothes in a stairwell and leaving dirty laundry behind. Older residents and families say they are on edge, and after repeated calls to management and multiple 311 complaints, they say a real fix still has not arrived.
What tenants told reporters
Residents told News 12 that the unsecured entry has left them feeling vulnerable in their own building. Tenants named Ethel Ellerbe and Morris Tapley described being frightened by the broken front-door system. Ellerbe told the station, “I’m a senior. I’m scared.”
Neighbors said trespassers had been spotted sitting in the stairwell, and one person reportedly used a hallway as a makeshift changing room and walked off, leaving their dirty clothes behind. Tenants told the station they have filed multiple 311 complaints and contacted building management several times, yet the front door has not stayed reliably secure.
Management response
A spokesperson for C&C Apartment Management told reporters the problem comes down to an inoperable access-card reader and said a replacement had been scheduled. C&C Apartment Management is listed online as the property manager for numerous buildings across the city, and the company provided a short statement about planned repairs.
Tenants, however, told the station that when reporters stopped by, secure entry still had not been restored. Residents say they are waiting for a repair that actually keeps the front door locked and the hallways limited to people who live there.
HPD steps in
An HPD spokesperson told News 12 that the agency has issued violations to the property owner and is addressing the building’s conditions through its Emergency Repair Program. As described by NYC HPD, the Emergency Repair Program lets the city hire contractors to fix immediately hazardous problems, then bill the owner for the cost.
According to officials, the priority is to make sure tenants have a safe place to live while the enforcement and repair process plays out.
Where tenants can turn
Residents dealing with unsecured entry are advised to hold on to their 311 service request numbers, document the problem with photos or video and follow up with HPD so an inspector can confirm any violation. NYC HPD outlines the complaint process and the Emergency Repair Program in detail, including how the city can step in if an owner fails to act.
If violations are confirmed and the landlord still does not make repairs, HPD may bring in contractors, complete the work and then recover the costs from the owner, which can add financial pressure on a landlord who ignores complaints. Local tenant-organizing groups and housing legal clinics can also help residents explore options like Housing Court when conditions do not improve.
For now, tenants say they will keep pushing for a permanent solution. As News 12 reported, residents said the locks were still not fixed as of Tuesday night, and one tenant summed up the mood plainly: “I just want to be safe where I pay rent.” Families and older residents in the building say they plan to keep calling 311 and contacting management until the front door finally stays secure.
