New York City, NY– January 23, 2025 – Today, Council Member Pierina Sanchez issued the following statement in response to the release of the Public Advocate’s ‘Worst Landlords Watchlist‘:

“New Yorkers deserve safe and dignified housing, regardless of their zip code. As is blatantly clear in this year’s ‘Worst Landlords Watchlist,’ those who own buildings with dozens of open violations need to be held accountable for negligence and deliver long-overdue repairs for the safety of their tenants. In the Bronx, we have witnessed the inaction of these landlords too many times with disasters like the Twin Parks Fire in 2022, the partial collapse of Billingsley Terrace in 2023, and just last week, the fires on Heath and Wallace Avenues that displaced over 100 families. The Heath building is owned by the #1 Worst Landlord identified in the Public Advocate’s 2025 list.

My legislation, the Housing Rescue and Resident Protection Act (Int. 1063), takes up buildings like these. Recognizing and responding to the flaws of the existing third party transfer system, HRRPA offers a path to safe and dignified housing for residents living in untenable conditions. Taking aim at the city’s most distressed properties, these buildings would be flagged and, after a fair process, turned over to responsible ownership. I call on my colleagues in the Council to support this critical legislation and applaud the Public Advocate for his diligence in shining a light on owners who have violated the trust of their tenants and left their buildings to deteriorate. Together, we must act.”

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