One Bay Ridge and three Sunset apartment buildings targeted for enhanced enforcement

Because of the number of health and safety code violations written against them, one Bay Ridge and three Sunset apartment buildings have been placed in the Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) and Development’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP).

The AEP is an initiative that targets multi-family buildings whose owners have allowed them to fall into dangerous disrepair.

The Sunset buildings include 245 46^th Street (six units), 456 53^rd Street (17 units), and 257 60th Street (seven units). The Bay Ridge apartment building located at 315 68^th (17 units) also was included.

The local buildings were four of 250 that made the list, according to an announcement from Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday, February 12. Buildings on the list have enough health and safety code violations to allow for enhanced enforcement by HPD. Among the qualifying issues are problems unearthed during roof to cellar inspections, unpaid fines, and having received AEP Orders to Correct underlying conditions and bring the buildings up to code.

The 250 buildings are home to 3,970 families citywide.

“This kind of willful negligence puts tenants in danger,” de Blasio said. “It is immoral and illegal and we will use every tool we have to go after property owners and make these buildings safe for New York families.”

This is the 11^th year of the AEP program, and this round’s 250 buildings have a combined total of 26,301 housing code violations.

Among the five boroughs, Brooklyn had the most violations this year; 127 buildings from the borough — representing 1,435 homes — were on the list.

According to the report, the 250 buildings that made the list this year have a total of 4,859 immediately hazardous (C-class), 21,442 hazardous (B-class), and 7,602 non-hazardous (A-class) violations. Immediately hazardous violations include inadequate fire exits, evidence of rodents, lead-based paint, and the lack of heat, hot water, electricity or gas. Class B hazardous violations conditions include such problems as leaks or holes in plaster or sheetrock.

Non-hazardous, or A-class, violations include more minor leaks, and chipping or peeling paint when no children under the age of six live in the home.

“HPD is working on all fronts to make sure that landlords live up to their obligations to provide tenants with the safe, quality housing that they rightfully deserve,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “The Alternative Enforcement Program is a powerful tool to take negligent owners to task and address systemic conditions in buildings.”

According to the report, for building owners to be discharged from the program, they must act affirmatively to demonstrate that conditions at the property are improving. This means correcting all violations associated with heat and hot water; all immediately hazardous violations; 80 percent of B-class mold violations; 80 percent of all violations related to vermin; 80 percent of all remaining B and C-class violations; and all related underlying conditions detailed in the AEP Order to Correct.

In addition, the owner must also submit a pest management plan to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene if there is an infestation, submit a valid property registration statement, and repay all outstanding charges and liens for emergency repair work performed by HPD or enter into a repayment agreement with the city Department of Finance.

“The Alternative Enforcement Program helps ensure that families and individuals have safe, livable and affordable housing,” said Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz, Chair of the Assembly’s Housing Committee. “I commend Commissioner Torres-Springer and the city administration for their diligence in continuing this initiative with such success and making it possible for thousands of families to feel comfortable and secure in their homes.”

For the complete list, visit www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/compliance/list-of-buildings-2018.pdf.