Crown Heights tenants demand help from landlord after apartment building fire
The building has had 48 HPD complaints in the last two years.
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More than a month after flames broke out, smoke filled through the doors, and water poured down in 1633 Sterling Place—Rose is still stuck in her apartment.
Despite the vacate order that’s been on her door for the past three weeks.
“It's affecting my health and I'm not young,” said Rose, a tenant of 21 years. “I might look young, but I'm not young and it's just like they have no regards. As long as they get their rent they don’t care.”
The fire started in the apartment two floors above her.
Since then, she’s had to deal with the smoke residue all throughout her bathroom.
“I have to go half an hour to 45 minutes just to bathe,” said Rose. “Except for the sponge baths.. you know you hit the hot spots.”
Rose is just one of several tenants still without relocation services offered by management.
Others say their calls for help go unanswered.
“It disturbed my asthma and I was worried for my two-year-old,” said Tanya Evans. “She doesn't have any issues, but I had to put a mask on her every day to just come out to the garbage, take her out every morning, back and forth from school. There are so many other things that this building needs help with. I've been here long enough to see a decline and just a few years.”
The building has had 48 HPD complaints in the last two years.
There’s currently 35 open violations.
The fire started in a third floor apartment which tenants tell News 12 has been the center of several disturbances. There's even notices from management inside the building acknowledging the issue.
“We are hardworking individuals,” said Evans. “We deserve to have a safe space to live in and have our voices heard.”
News 12's calls and emails to the landlord have also gone unanswered.
