REMARKS
Current housing issues in New York City and the urgent need for action
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131 sec
Council Member Sanchez highlights the pressing housing issues in New York City, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address distressed buildings and poor living conditions.
- Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers live in distressed buildings, with 10,000 buildings owing millions in municipal debt
- There has been a significant increase in housing code violations and emergency repairs needed
- Specific examples of severely distressed buildings are provided, including ones with millions in unpaid arrears and hundreds of open violations
- The council member expresses frustration with the inhumane living conditions and emphasizes the urgent need to act
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:03:36
Across New York City, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers live in distressed buildings.
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10,000 buildings of the 115,000 units with owners who owe tens of 1,000,000 of dollars to the city.
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And these figures are increasing each day.
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Last week, before the drama, the mayor's management report showed 895457 BNC class violations were issued in fiscal year 24, a more than 40% increase than since fiscal 21.
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And the number of units affected by emergency repair work has more than doubled since fiscal 21.
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We're talking about children, families, elderly persons living in mold, vermin, lead, collapse seal ceilings, and more.
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We're talking about New Yorkers like those at 221 slash 2205 Davidson Avenue, whose owner owes $23,000,000 in unpaid Municipal arrears over $450,000 per unit.
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The building had cycled through owners who exhibited systematic and cyclical patterns of neglect, and had 539 open housing maintenance code violations, 83 open DLB violations dating back to 1989, damaged facade, and other structural issues.
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Just a short walk away, 1915 Billings Lee Terrace, which suffered a partial collapse in December of 2023, also had hundreds of open violations at the time.
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And 705 and 709 West 170th Street in Washington Heights, whose tenants are living with over 700 open housing maintenance code violations.
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Those tenants live with lead, lead paint, roach, mice, infestation, inadequate electricity, and mold.
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These buildings should have absolutely gone through TPT.
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But the program has been inactive.
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The housing and livelihoods of these tenants have been left to the wayside.
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And today, we wanna be very clear.
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I'd like to acknowledge we've been joined by council member, Today, I like to acknowledge and be very clear that these living conditions are unacceptable.
0:05:39
And I for 1, I'm sick and tired of touring building after building where tenants are living in inhumane conditions.
0:05:46
We need to act now.
