Tenants Sue #6 on City’s Worst Landlords List, Gov. Agencies Over Decades of Unsafe Living Conditions 

The landlord, Robyn Lucas-Cora, has left tenants with periodic flooding of raw sewage in their apartments, brown water coming out of the tap, mold growth and broken security systems

Brooklyn, NY – Tenants of the Rutland Plaza, a 438-unit development in Brownsville Brooklyn, gathered on the steps of Brooklyn Housing Court on Monday, June 29, to announce a new lawsuit against their landlord, Robyn Lucas-Cora, as well as state and city housing and health agencies. The case seeks comprehensive repairs to Rutland Plaza and accountability for millions in public funds reportedly designated for building rehabilitation. 

At the press conference, tenants demanded repairs and shouted their frustration over Lucas-Cora’s rampant neglect of their buildings, including raw sewage on the floor, mold and mildew, chronic leaks, broken elevators doors that don’t lock and broken security systems. Tenants also allege that state agencies failed to properly oversee repairs tied to prior public investment in the property.

• Read the lawsuit here.
• See images of hazardous living conditions here.
• See images from press conference here.

“We are done being ignored, exploited, and forced to live in uninhabitable conditions,” said tenant Cynthia Hammond. “We have watched our rents go up while sewage leaks, mold, and dangerous building conditions were left to fester. No one else would accept these conditions and neither will we. We demand accountability and justice now!”

“This landlord has chosen profits over people at every turn,” said another tenant Rochelle Hobson. “No one should have to fight this hard for a safe place to call home. Today, we are standing up and demanding accountability! We won’t stop fighting until we can live with the dignity, safety, and respect we deserve.”

“This is not a typical housing court case,” said Dana Klasky, a staff attorney with the Tenant Rights Coalition at Brooklyn Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition. “These tenants aren’t just asking a judge to order repairs. They’re asking the Court to hold both their landlord and the government agencies responsible for overseeing this development accountable for years of neglect after the State allegedly invested millions of dollars to rehabilitate these buildings. The conditions here are the result of systemic failures that require comprehensive repairs—not quick fixes. We hope this lawsuit compels the City and State to use their oversight authority to hold Robyn Lucas-Cora and Amistad Management accountable and ensure these tenants finally receive the safe, healthy homes they’ve been promised.”

In 2016, New York State announced a $96 million “investment” aimed at preserving Rutland Plaza, but tenants have seen only cosmetic attempts at repairs.

Lucas-Cora, who leads The Amistad Management Corp., is currently listed as number six on the city’s Worst Landlords List, and has resisted years of advocacy aimed at getting her to treat Rutland Plaza’s residents with dignity and respect. She has even imposed massive rent increases of upwards of $1,000 per month. 

After years of unsuccessful attempts to resolve these issues through direct communication, tenants have decided to escalate their efforts by pursuing an HP Action in Housing Court.

Rutland Plaza tenants are organized by the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) and East Brooklyn Tenants Group HOPE and represented by Brooklyn Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition, a program of Legal Services NYC.

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About UHAB
Since 1973, UHAB has empowered low- to moderate-income residents to take control of their housing and enhance communities by creating strong tenant associations and lasting affordable co-ops. In 2018, UHAB Organizers worked with Brooklyn tenants to found HOPE, a tenant-led coalition of Tenants’ Associations and community members united in fighting for housing justice and to stop displacement in East Flatbush, Brownsville and East New York neighborhoods.https://www.uhab.org/our-work/hope/hope-2/ 

About Legal Services NYC
Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, LSNYC has challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC fights every day to ensure New Yorkers, and their families have access to the services, resources, and protections they need to survive.www.legalservicesnyc.org.