I’m used to living in a city that’s #1 in a lot of stuff: my hometown of Miami was simultaneously the poorest city in the United States (and that’s averaging in multi-million-dollar mansions and penthouses) and that with the highest proportion of HIV diagnoses. Also, I think South Florida is the most likely region that you will get your car stolen, since the Port of Miami is the main way they leave the country, disguised in cereal containers on their way to a Haitian chop shop. Oh, don’t forget that Miami has always been the drug capital of the US.
So no surprise from me this morning when Hrag Vartanian sent me a link to a map on which the New York Times plotted the top 200 most violation-laden buildings in the city, and Bushwick shows up (with Bed-Stuy as a close second) as a pretty much solid sea of red. Almost as many violations plague Bushwick as all of the Bronx combined. Crown Heights and East New York are pretty bad, too.
You’d think those areas experienced some kind of riots or arson or decades of general neglect and purposeful destruction by landlords and tenants, and that now since there’s zero profit to be made on the worst buildings, there’s zero reason to fix them. You know, if you thought about it rationally. But I know it can be so fun, and probably quite satisfying, to just declare certain people to be saints and others to be evil, and stomp your feet in righteous indignation and wave big stuffed rats in the air and declare that you have the right to force someone else to house you.
Brooklyn Pete November 22nd, 2007 at 5:00 am
Only in the Wick, huh?!?!
John Dereszewski November 22nd, 2007 at 11:33 am
This certainly is a “sea of red”. It seems that 36 of the top 200 buildings are situated in Bushwick’s community district. Perhaps an even more striking fact is the near total lack of red in Williamsburg. (I only noted one red spot, and that a Bushwick Ave. address situated just north of Flushing Ave.) While these communities are certainly different, they are not THAT different!
This makes me question the factors that triggered the data. Since HPD certainly does not possess the resources to comprehensively and proactively enforce the multiple dwelling code, it must heavily rely on the complaints it receives as well as its own enforcement priorities in addressing this question. The existence of the Bushwick Initiative clearly indicates that HPD views Bushwick as a priority code enforcement area. In addition, the activities of groups like Make the Road by Walking, which aggressively encourage the filing of complaints, maximize the number of violations that HPD must address. Thus, such factors as these may very well skew the data in Bushwick’s direction.
Another thing that leads me to question the data is the small number of large multiple dwellings – 10 or more units – among the 200. (I counted fewer than 25.) This is counter intuitive, since you would expect the larger buildings to generate more violations.
Any thoughts?
Cate November 25th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Unfortunately, our landlord/building should be included. We live in a 6 unit building – some of the tenants are Section 8 and/or do not speak English as a first language. I do not speak Spanish so communicating with our neighbours is next to impossible.
The landlord is the worst example of a building owner – the type that gives all decent landlords a bad name. He’s a Law & Order episode stereotype!
We’re in a horrid situation, because he is leaving us no choices other than housing court, or moving (breaking the lease). Both options are time consuming, and we fear a ‘black mark’ on our NYC rental record which may make future rentals difficult.
John – My guess? The number of complaints have increased because of the gentrification of the area. Renters like my neighbours are accustomed to keeping their heads down. No one *ever* calls the cops on this street! The ‘new’ crowd is different – they’ll call 311 and fire off a registered letter to their landlords.
It’s the double-edged sword of gentrification. Yes, it may outprice some long-time residents – I’ve had that happen to me so I empathize; but the influx of money will also force the slumlords to shape up or get hammered by fines. That can only help the overall quality of the neighbourhood.
Still, my current situation makes me wish I still lived in Canada:)!
brendan November 25th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
“You know, if you thought about it rationally. But I know it can be so fun, and probably quite satisfying, to just declare certain people to be saints and others to be evil, and stomp your feet in righteous indignation and wave big stuffed rats in the air and declare that you have the right to force someone else to house you.”
I read that article, and I am completely baffled. Who is doing any such thing?
Drew Hamilton November 25th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Foot stomping and stuffed rats aside, I would like to live in a State where housing is considered a fundamental right under the Law.
Jeremy November 26th, 2007 at 11:02 am
John: How many buildings are there in Bushwick over 10 units anyhow? While I agree with your observation of the Bushwick skew of the data, it does seem likely that larger buildings aren’t so prevalent in this list because there simply aren’t that many.
Jeremy November 26th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Brendan: “Fight! Fight! Fight! Housing is a right!”
That’s not just an empty slogan. The particular people in this article chanting it might just think they’re saying landlords should fix violations. But the activists who told them to chant consider it to mean that people have the right to be provided housing. That means someone must provide it for them, since housing doesn’t grow like mushrooms from the ground.
Drew: That’s very sweet.
Joseph November 26th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Here are a few thougths from a landlord’s perspective.
I bought my building earlier this year and there are a number of violations on it, many date back decades. A 20 year old violation for a light out in the hallway is meaningless. HPD issues the violation but never does any follow-up. If the landlord does not proactively remove the violation, which requires lots of paperwork and an inspection, the violation will stay on the record forever.
My guess is that the housing stock in Bushwick is in no worse shape than other low income neighborhoods but for some reason, HPD has made our neihborhood a priority. I also suspect that in this complaint driven system, for some reason tenants have been taught that the way to get action from a landlord is to call HPD and complain.
I am now in the process of clearing all the violations on my building and I can assure you that this is a huge PITA. I know some landlords are scum, but the City does not make it easy to comply with the codes.
John Dereszewski November 27th, 2007 at 7:02 am
Jeremy, my comments regarding the small number of large buildings on the list was addressed to the City-wise total, not Bushwick. It also involved my interest in the minuscule number of buildings from Williamsburg on the list, where larger private apartment buildings are much more prevalent.
Thinking about this further, the fact that large buildings enlist the services of live-in supers and managing agents might work to mitigate the incidence of the serious type of violations which was the subject of this study – at least to the extent of getting them off the “worst 200″ list. But, again, this is just a guess.
Cate November 30th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Replying to Joseph…
“My guess is that the housing stock in Bushwick is in no worse shape than other low income neighborhoods”
Again, I think it is the influx of ‘newbies’ moving in, and finally complaining about the *bad* landlords. “In no worse shape” should not be shrugged off – the bad ones are only giving gentlemen such as yourself a bad reputation, and they deserve to be made as miserable as their tenants.
“but for some reason, HPD has made our neihborhood a priority.”
Bushwick may be a priority, but it is only creating a huge backlog. Unless I go to housing court (who has the time to DO that?), it will take months to get a building inspector in this apartment. I was under the impression – please correct me if I am wrong – that apartments with children and senior citizens are given (righteous) priority. The rest of us wait.
“I also suspect that in this complaint driven system, for some reason tenants have been taught that the way to get action from a landlord is to call HPD and complain.”
Far from it, unless landlord intimidation – not unheard of in Bushwick – is involved.
The HPD is a complicated and time consuming process that no one in their right mind wants to wrangle with. Calling 311 will add your name to the waiting list, but it can mean taking a day off of work to be available. Then there is the fear of landlord reprisal – something I live with. A bad reference, or even a whisper of housing court on a tenant record can utterly screw future rental oppportunities.
I am delighted when I read posts from landlords like you and Jeremy, because I hope you are the ‘future’ of this neighbourhood. Chasing out the slumlords will help *everyone*. Please do not stand up for them out of empathy – the
'sup December 3rd, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Without being too cynical, I wonder if the tenants at 531 Knickerbocker are dealing with so many housing code violations because Make the Road by Walking is more concerned with prostests and press realeases rather than good old fashioned Court proceedings. If this organization spent as much time in Court, given that its two founders are attorneys, as it does banging pots and pans, then maybe more work would get done. These tenants do have a right to have these violations dealt with, but sometimes effective representation is better than sloganeering.