On the fourth floor of a West Farms walk-up, cracked plaster and water stains now pass for ceiling décor, and tenants say leaks, dirty water and pests have become part of the daily routine. In Damali Wood’s apartment, the bathroom light is encased in a bubble of damp plaster and the kitchen tap sometimes runs brown. Neighbors say they have been texting the building’s superintendent for years with little to show for it, as repairs drag on and basic fixes stall.
According to News 12 Bronx, city records list the property with 238 open violations, more than 100 of them classified as Class B hazards. Under the city’s enforcement rules, Class B conditions are considered hazardous and owners are required to correct them within 30 days, per HPD.
"It starts out with little brown stains… and then it's just raining after that," tenant Shawn Williams told News 12 Bronx, describing years of leaks in the unit. Another neighbor showed screenshots of unanswered text messages to the superintendent. The super told reporters that a boiler was leaking into pipes and that a contractor had been called, but did not offer a repair timeline. News 12 also reports that HPD sent Wood a letter confirming that roach and mouse problems should be resolved by April 20.
How the city enforces repairs
HPD rules give landlords a clock to fix problems: 30 days for Class B violations and much shorter windows for immediately hazardous Class C conditions. If owners do not comply, HPD can seek civil penalties, perform emergency repairs or bring cases to housing court. In more extreme situations, chronically neglected buildings can be placed into stricter programs that force repairs and bill owners for the work. The agency’s penalty schedule and timelines are detailed on HPD.
Where this fits in the borough
Housing analysts say what is happening in West Farms is not an outlier. Bronx neighborhoods carry a disproportionate share of hazardous housing violations, and city data show enforcement tools such as the Alternative Enforcement Program are being expanded to zero in on the worst buildings. A recent analysis of HPD enforcement and open violation data identifies the Bronx as the epicenter of the city’s violations crisis and finds the city turning up the heat on repeat offenders, according to ViolationWatch.
For now, Wood and her neighbors are watching HPD’s correction deadline and stockpiling records of 311 complaints along with messages to management. They say they are done with vague assurances and want concrete timelines for the work. If nothing changes, they plan to keep pressing city agencies until it does.
