Bronx Tenants Demand Immediate Repairs and Responsible Ownership after Months with No Gas and Inconsistent Heat

Bronx, NY — Tenants of 2051 Webster Avenue held a press conference today demanding immediate repairs, restoration of gas and heat, and a pathway to responsible ownership from the court-appointed Receiver overseeing their building, after residents endured months of hazardous living conditions — including during the holidays and the coldest days of December without cooking gas or reliable heat.

“Many families were unable to cook on holidays,” said Jose Lora, a resident of 20 years. “We had to heat water to bathe because there was no hot water for almost two months. My electricity bill went from $60 or $70 to almost $200 every month. Many of my neighbors are also spending much more money on food because they cannot cook for their children. Gas is an essential service—and we deserve to receive the basic services we pay for and that are required by law.”

The rent-stabilized building currently has 501 open HPD violations, including 125 Class “C” immediately hazardous violations, reflecting years of neglect and unsafe conditions. Tenants report prolonged gas outages, inconsistent heat and hot water, unresolved repairs throughout apartments and common areas, and a non-functioning intercom system that compromises safety and prevents access for emergency responders and home health aides. Tenants said that one of the most concerning and pervasive issues are deep cracks across every corner of the building that point to serious structural concerns.

“Our building is literally splitting apart at the seams,” said Angelette Waring, a tenant of 57 years. “In my apartment, there are cracks that run the entire length of hallways, rooms, and door frames. The walls are bubbled and deformed. My ceilings are on the verge of caving in. After so many building fires and collapses in the Bronx—we are afraid that we will be next.”

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Bronx tenants say they’ve been without heat or gas for months as building has fallen into disrepair. “The receiver was appointed specifically to maintain the building responsibly until the building is sold to a new owner. But unfortunately for the tenants here, they’ve just been transferred from one irresponsible landlord to another,” Sean Connolly of Bronx Legal Services said.

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Last year the Court approved the Receiver’s request to hire JLP Metro—a property management company with a poor record of providing heat and hot water across its portfolio—to “preserve, maintain, and repair” the building. Yet during December’s coldest days, residents were unable to cook, heat food, or even warm water to shower. As a result, many tenants were forced to rely on electric space heaters and other temporary measures, overwhelming the building’s electrical system and increasing the risk of fire. These dangers are especially alarming as the Bronx has experienced a recent spike in residential fires linked to unsafe heating conditions.

“The receiver and management company are on notice — tenants of 2051 Webster refuse to live without heat, hot water and gas,” said Sean Connolly, an attorney at Bronx Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition. “Tenants remain entitled to their basic housing rights under the law while this building goes through the foreclosure process. We have already sent a demand letter to the receiver and building management, and we will be utilizing every legal tool at our disposal to hold them accountable, including seeking a court order to force repairs and partnering with city agencies to levy fines.”

In addition to dangerous physical conditions, tenants report harassment and coercive practices by the Receiver, including pressure to sign backdated leases, unexplained rent increases, and threats of being taken to Housing Court. Residents say they have been improperly burdened with proving rent balances while lacking access to accurate rent records or valid leases, creating fear and instability for families already living in unsafe conditions. Estefany Casilla, a tenant of 15 years, said when she went to the management office to renew her lease, she was shocked that JLP Metro informed her that she owed over $7,000 in unexplained charges.

“No tenant should have to fight just to prove they deserve to stay in their home,” Casilla said. “What is happening in this building is creating instability for families, and that is something we cannot accept. We came together as a tenant association because we understood that the only way to protect our homes and our families was to stand together and demand accountability.”

Residential tenants were joined by two commercial tenants who say their businesses have also been severely impacted by the lack of critical services. Tania Paulino of Tania Nail Hair salon said that the landlord’s unpaid ConEdison bills and the inconsistent heat forced her to purchase a generator in order to provide consistent heat and electricity to her business.

At Thursday’s press conference, tenants called on the Receiver, the courts, and city agencies to immediately restore gas service, reimburse tenants for the months without service, secure the building’s safety and structural integrity, and end harassment and coercive lease and rent practices. As of February 2nd, The Department of Housing Preservation and Development placed the building in the City’s Alternative Enforcement Program. Edward Garcia, Director of Development at the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC), said that this is proof that the tenants’ organizing is generating a response, while emphasizing that they want responsible ownership for the long term.

“Tenants are demanding immediate intervention by the City and regulating agencies — to address the life-threatening conditions in this building now, while also planning for a future that includes stable, responsible ownership,” said Garcia. “We believe responsible ownership can — and should — mean tenant collective ownership. We must break the cycle of treating our homes like commodities. Tenants are the true stewards of these buildings. That is why NWBCCC supports legislation that creates real pathways to accountability and community control.”

NWBCCC has been advancing models for resident collective ownership for years, alongside policies like the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), which would give tenants the first right of refusal to purchase their building when it goes up for sale. Garcia said TOPA is just one policy solution that could scale these solutions and level the playing field for tenants who want to take control of their homes.

State Senator Luis Sepúlveda is a co-sponsor of TOPA, and has pledged his support for his constituents at 2051 Webster Ave. “I stand in full solidarity with the tenants of 2051 Webster Avenue,” said Senator Sepúlveda. “No family in the Bronx should be forced to live without gas, without reliable heat, or in unsafe conditions that put their health and lives at risk. The existing 500 open violations, including more than 125 of them posing an immediate hazard, is not a coincidence. They are the result of years of negligence and irresponsibility by those responsible for this building. I will work with tenants and NWBCCC to hold regulatory agencies accountable and make sure that they act without delay to restore essential services, correct every violation, and ensure responsible management of the building. Safe housing is a fundamental human right, and we will not stop fighting until every resident gets the safety and justice they deserve.”

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The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) unites diverse peoples and institutions to fight for racial and economic justice through community organizing to transform the Bronx and beyond. We take direct action to confront injustice and win concrete victories that change material conditions, giving people a sense of the power of our community. We invest in our members’ capacity to realize a shared vision for the Bronx, where our people collectively own and govern the assets and political processes in our community. www.northwestbronx.org

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. We help New Yorkers obtain the basic necessities of life, including housing, economic security, family and immigration stability, education, health care. We challenge systemic injustices that trap people in poverty. Bronx Legal Services, the largest provider of free civil legal services in the borough, provides free legal help to low-income Bronx residents. www.legalservicesnyc.org/boroughs/bronx-legal-services

Partners in Preservation (PIP) was created by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to support tenant organizing groups that help tenants address unsafe conditions and harassment from their landlords so they can stay in their homes. Partners in Preservation funds tenant organizers at 20 trusted tenant organizing groups in 39 community districts who engage residents to form tenant associations and take collective action, like legal rent strikes or going to court, to hold landlords accountable and protect their rights to a safe and comfortable home.