{"id":301,"date":"2024-09-20T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/shaun-abreu\/?p=301"},"modified":"2024-09-22T16:34:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-22T16:34:19","slug":"harlem-world-tenants-council-member-rally-against-unlivable-conditions-at-west-harlem-apartments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/shaun-abreu\/2024\/09\/20\/harlem-world-tenants-council-member-rally-against-unlivable-conditions-at-west-harlem-apartments\/","title":{"rendered":"Harlem World: Tenants, Council Member Rally Against Unlivable Conditions At West Harlem Apartments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read the full article here.<\/a><\/p>\n

By Shaun Abreu<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bijan Royal Tenants\u2019 Union rallied with City Council Member Shaun Abreu<\/a> and the Goddard Riverside Law Project this week to call on the city to oversee repairs to dangerous and unacceptable conditions at their two buildings in West Harlem<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The buildings\u2014 572 West 141st St. and 619 West 140th St.\u2014 are owned by Bijan Nassi, currently #44 on the New York City Public Advocate\u2019s Worst Landlord list<\/a>.  <\/p>\n

The two properties have accumulated 935 violations at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development<\/a> including: unusable showers, toilets, and stoves in many units; water soaking through the brick walls of the buildings, causing water damage and dangerous mold throughout the apartments; an elevator that has been out for over a year at a six-floor building with infirm and elderly tenants on the upper floors; water and heating issues throughout the year at both buildings; dangerous electrical issues at both buildings; and outer walls that have deteriorated to the point of bricks falling off the buildings.  <\/p>\n

Many of the tenants have been on rent strike for over a year, hoping that the financial pressure would move Mr. Nassi\u2019s company to provide these basic requirements for livability, to no avail.  <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a toilet that doesn\u2019t flush. I\u2019m scared that at any moment the pipes will burst. The tub drains when it wants to,\u201d said tenant Gracie Feliz at the Tuesday press conference.  <\/p>\n

Another tenant union member, Carmen Gonzalez, lives on the sixth floor and walks with a cane due to vertigo: \u201cThe elevator has been broken for a year. To bring our groceries in, we have to walk them up.\u201d She added that their tub doesn\u2019t drain and there is an active mouse infestation.  <\/p>\n

\n

Javier Figueroa of the Goddard Riverside Law Project said, \u201cWe\u2019ve been attempting to work with Mr. Nassi on these issues for over two years, with no real response. These tenants have been patient but are no longer willing to sit back and wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a tenant rights attorney\u2014and as someone who grew up poor in Manhattan\u2014I know first-hand that bad landlords will get away with as much as they can for as long as they can. Together with the Bijan Royal Tenants\u2019 Union and the Goddard Riverside Law Project<\/a>, we will hold a bad landlord to account and address the serious issues faced by tenants in West Harlem<\/a>,\u201d said Council Member Abreu. \u201cThe conditions range from dangerous wiring and prolonged elevator outages to unusable toilets, showers, and stoves. The status quo is unacceptable, and we demand immediate action. Landlord Bijan Nassi, who is notably on the New York City Public Advocate\u2019s Worst Landlord list<\/a>, has failed to provide safe and habitable living conditions for these residents.\u201d   <\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we are calling on the city to step in and take over management to ensure that these critical repairs are community cannot be compromised any longer.\u201d  <\/p>\n

The tenants are demanding the appointment of 7A administrators to take over management of the buildings and make long-needed repairs, and as a long-term solution, for a pathway for tenant and\/or community ownership of these long-neglected properties.   <\/p>\n

The Bijan Royal Tenants Union represents tenants of 572 West 141st St. and 619 West 140th St. and is working to achieve livable homes for the occupants.  <\/p>\n

Goddard Riverside\u00a0strives toward a fair and just society where all people can make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families. Our programs serve more than 20,000 people annually, preparing children and youth for success; supporting self-sufficiency; enriching the lives of older adults; promoting behavioral health; fighting homelessness; and strengthening families and communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read the full article here.<\/a><\/p>\n

By Shaun Abreu<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bijan Royal Tenants\u2019 Union rallied with City Council Member Shaun Abreu<\/a> and the Goddard Riverside Law Project this week to call on the city to oversee repairs to dangerous and unacceptable conditions at their two buildings in West Harlem<\/a>.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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