Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

This morning, on her first day on the job, the new HPD Commissioner, Maria Torres-Springer joined tenants from 3852 10th Avenue, as well as myself and Public Advocate Letitia James, to announce new enforcement actions against their slumlord, who has let the buildings deteriorate to a dangerous degree. Following an instance in early January, where tenants were rushed to the hospital from a boiler leaking carbon monoxide, my office and that of Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa, have worked with organizers and tenants to ensure the city does everything in its power to see repairs made in this building.

Today, Commissioner Torres-Springer started her tenure with HPD with action, announcing that 3852 10th Avenue, and 249 other troubled buildings throughout the city, will be placed into the Alternative Enforcement Program, a system designed to hold landlords accountable for disrepair, ensuring expedited quality fixes are made, or else HPD will do it themselves and bill the landlord after. As we know, especially uptown, landlords often allow buildings to fall into disrepair as a tactic to push rent stabilized tenants out. The actions announced today will not only serve to preserve affordable housing, but will give more tenants across the city, the comfortable home they have long deserved.

This is good news for these uptown tenants who have suffered in unacceptable conditions. My office, alongside Public Advocate Letitia James, NYS Assemblywoman De La Rosa, NYS Senator Marisol Alcantara and US Congressman Adriano Espaillat, will continue to monitor the conditions of these buildings and ensure that tenants across Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill have suitable living conditions and that slumlords are held accountable when they do not.

Best,