A recent report has revealed that the apartment complex chosen by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to showcase the achievements of his new Housing chief, Dina Levy, is plagued by nearly 200 housing code violations. The findings raise serious questions about the management and maintenance of the building located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in Morris Heights, which has been associated with a nonprofit organization accused of neglect.
Documents obtained by the New York Post indicate that the apartment complex has a total of 194 open housing code violations dating back to 2016. Alarmingly, 88 of these violations are categorized as ‘Class C,’ which the city designates as ‘immediately hazardous.’ These issues include significant rodent and cockroach infestations, malfunctioning doors, broken refrigerators, and the presence of mould.
On January 4, 2024, Mamdani appointed Levy as the Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development, emphasizing her extensive experience in nonprofit management and advocacy for affordable housing. “Levy is an experienced and fearless housing leader, and I know that she will fight to protect tenants and tackle our housing crisis head-on,” Mamdani stated during the appointment ceremony. He expressed a commitment to ending unsafe and unaffordable housing conditions for New Yorkers.
Levy’s prior involvement with the building is notable; in 2011, she helped facilitate its acquisition by Workforce Housing Advisors from private landlords. The deal included a loan of $5.6 million (approximately £4.1 million) from the city’s Housing Preservation and Development department, intended to stabilize the building’s finances and maintain its affordability. Mamdani remarked, “Dina will no longer be petitioning HPD from the outside. She will now be leading it from the inside, delivering the kind of change that can transform lives.”
The report highlights that the number of Class C violations at the Morris Heights complex is more than double that of the 85 Clarkson Avenue building in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Mamdani previously cited the Prospect Heights location as a prime example of the failures within the subsidized housing system. Yet, some tenants at the Morris Heights complex express a preference for the previous management.
Mordistine Alexander, a resident for over 20 years, stated that the former landlord’s management was preferable. She described ongoing issues in her unit, including a lack of hot water and heating, crumbling fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen, and broken windows. Despite submitting requests for repairs, Alexander has been without kitchen lights for months since her request in October 2023. Regarding the rodent problem, she indicated that she has taken matters into her own hands due to inadequate responses from the current management.
“The building has deteriorated,” Alexander commented. “They lack porters. No one is maintaining it, and the complaints fall on deaf ears – especially if you complain a lot.” Her frustrations reflect broader concerns among tenants about the management of the building and the effectiveness of the nonprofit’s oversight.
As the new Housing Commissioner, Levy faces a significant challenge in addressing the myriad issues surrounding this complex and restoring confidence among tenants. The revelations about the apartment building’s condition underscore the complexities of managing affordable housing in a city grappling with a housing crisis.
