Activists Call On City To Punish Violators
Bushwick residents, community leaders and elected officials rallied on Sunday, Apr. 6, against who they consider to be the neighborhood’s worst landlords, whose buildings are filled with Housing Maintenance Code Violations and have a history of mistreating long-time, low-income tenants.
Participants in the march urged Mayor de Blasio to pursue greater code enforcement and other actions that will help protect tenants and preserve affordable housing in Bushwick.
The event was organized by Make the Road New York and Real Affordability for All, a growing citywide campaign focused on ensuring that the city preserves and creates real affordable housing for low-income and moderate-income New Yorkers who need it the most.
Participants in the march included Rep. Nydia Velázquez, Public Advocate Letitia James, City Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Carlos Menchaca, Bushwick tenants and members of Make the Road New York and Real Affordability for All.
They gathered at 1418 DeKalb Ave., where they held a press conference, and then marched to 171 Irving Ave. and 324 Central Ave. Residents described mistreatment by landlords and the need for city government to do more to empower and stand up for tenants.
“Today I marched because I need the protection of my city so that my apartment gets repaired, so that I feel safe in my building and so that I do not get displaced like other families in my building,” said Maria Pucha, a low-income tenant at 1418 DeKalb Ave. “Bushwick is my home, and I am here to stay.”
“Ten months ago, my landlord came into the apartment to repair the kitchen and bathroom, but instead he demolished it,” added Michelle Navas, a 24-year tenant at 98 Linden St. “Since then, my family has had to use the neighbor’s bathroom and kitchen. This is no way to live and I am urging our city to crackdown on ‘bad actor’ landlords so that more families don’t have to go through what we are going through.”
“We must work to protect tenant’s rights and preserve affordable housing,” Reynoso stated. “The city needs to address the displacement of low-income families across North Brooklyn by landlords who purposely demolish units in an effort to convert them into marketrate apartments.”
During the march, tenants, community leaders, and elected officials referenced a recent report by Make the Road New York called “The Roof Over Our Heads: The Case for Stronger Enforcement of New York City’s Housing Maintenance Code,” which pointed out that “neighborhoods where landlords allow their buildings to fall into disrepair are often the same neighborhoods experiencing rapid gentrification and high-levels of displacement.”
The report recommended that more effective enforcement of the Housing Maintenance Code should include stronger incentives for landlords to make repairs; tougher penalties for landlords who do not comply with the code; and greater protections to ensure that tenants with noncompliant landlords are not forced to endure dangerous and unsanitary conditions.
“The great vision of a city with affordable housing must be coupled with a determined will to preserve all units of affordable housing,” said City Council Member Rafael Espinal, who wasn’t able to attend the march but offered support for the cause in a statement. “We cannot talk of building new units of affordable housing without doing the work of preserving existing units of affordable housing.”
