TESTIMONY
Shekeema Gillans, Resident of an Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) in the South Bronx, on critical building issues and financial instability in her cooperative
4:58:44
·
3 min
Shekeema Gillans details severe maintenance problems and financial instability in her South Bronx HDFC cooperative, requesting immediate assistance to prevent foreclosure.
- Building lacks gas since March 2022 due to a leak and non-compliance with New York laws
- Continuous issues include boiler malfunctions, roof leaks, and sewage spills into apartments
- Cooperative is financially unstable, struggling to pay operating expenses and mortgage
- Gillans experienced apartment leaks for 6 out of 7 years, posing health and safety concerns
- Residents seek guidance, resources, and funding to restore the building to healthy operations and preserve their investments
Shekeema Gillans
4:58:44
Hi.
4:58:45
Good afternoon.
4:58:46
My name is Shekeema Gillans.
4:58:48
I'm a resident of a HDFC located in the South Bronx.
4:58:52
We're fig we've been facing a housing crisis, and we're experiencing inevitable conditions.
4:59:00
It says the building building needs funding for capital improvements, repairs that'll continuously recur preventative measures, and building wide improvements, operating expenses, and for implementing new systems to improve the management of the building.
4:59:16
We're financially unstable.
4:59:18
We're struggling to pay operating expenses, especially mortgage.
4:59:21
Some residents were advised that we have made it 6 months before going into foreclosure.
4:59:27
There has been issues, incurrence, existing issues with maintenance, and rental arrears.
4:59:35
Gas, there hasn't been no gas since March 2022.
4:59:40
That's officially 2 years as of today.
4:59:42
That's been caused by a gas leak that we had and being out of compliance with New York laws.
4:59:48
February 2023, Board was advised a $136,000 was needed to fix gas.
4:59:55
We were given hot plates due to no gas.
4:59:59
The boiler has continuous issues over the years, including 2, out of service notices in February March 2024.
5:00:09
The roof needs to be repaired There are leaks that lead to below floor in resident apartments.
5:00:14
The chimney has a bit of damage that needs to be repaired, then building wide repairs, there's a lack of proper repair systems, preventative measures, and continuous leaks.
5:00:27
There was within the past 2 or 3 years, there was a leak that spilled over into residents, a sewage leak that spilled over into some residents' apartments.
5:00:37
Building wide Intercom, there was continuous malfunction issues, and some haven't been resolved.
5:00:43
A little bit of my quick story.
5:00:46
From 2018.
5:00:48
So can I continue?
Pierina Ana Sanchez
5:00:49
Please tell me about your story.
Shekeema Gillans
5:00:50
Okay.
5:00:51
This is just very small, just the insight.
5:00:53
So 2018 to 2024, that's 7 years.
5:00:57
I've had apartment leaks 6 of the 7 years.
5:01:00
There has become a quality of life, health, and safety concern for me.
5:01:04
My intercom for my apartment hasn't worked in over 10 years.
5:01:10
I've contacted, you know, the regular channels, 311, HPD, to basically advise some of my issues.
5:01:19
We don't want to be fined penalized with c violations or lien be bought out by a new owner or be converted to a private landlord.
5:01:28
That would add to the existing building issues and we don't have the funds.
5:01:32
What I would like to request is immediate attention and attention and governance seeking guidance resources, including grants and funding, and a vodigate that would provide support to reinstate build in back to healthy operations.
5:01:48
We like to save the build in people investments that they earned it.
5:01:51
The building residents are loving hard work in generation of family that reside in this building since the 19 seventies.
5:01:59
Please help us.
5:02:00
Thanks for your time and attention to this matter.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
5:02:04
Thank you.
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Viviana Gordon, Director of Planning and Implementation at Center for Justice Innovation, on Housing Instability and Public Housing Oversight
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Jim Dill, Executive Director of Housing And Services Inc., on Reallocation of New York City's 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative