BY JASON COHEN
Tenants of 1210 Clay Ave. are living
with rodent infestations, a lack of heat
and hot water, faulty plumbing, broken
windows and frequent electricity outages.
Some are still displaced due to an
April 2021 fi re caused by wiring issues
in the building, sued their landlord in
court earlier this year to force her to
fi x dangerous living conditions, which
didn’t seem to ameliorate much.
Living in squalor, the tenants then
began a rent strike this summer, demanding
full relief for rent owed during
the pandemic in addition to remedying
the overdue repairs and services.
However, the deadline given to Hee
Yang, the landlord, by the court to fi nish
repairs has passed.
So, on Sept. 23, they held a rally outside
the apartment building and fi led a
motion represented by Bronx Legal Services
to hold Yang in contempt of court.
There are more than 100 code violations
in the building, which a judge previously
ordered Yang to fi x to no avail. And some
people are still living in a congregant
shelter for more than fi ve months after
being forced out of their apartments due
to the fi re.
Kevin Brown, 55, who had lived in the
building for 21 years, just wants to move
back home. Since the April fi re started
in his apartment due to faulty wiring in
the building, Brown has been forced to
live in a shelter for nearly six months.
Brown said he doesn’t feel safe in a
shelter, especially during the pandemic.
“I’ve been in the congregant shelter
for six months since the fi re, waiting
to get repairs so I can get back,” Brown
said. “The city, HPD Department of
Housing Preservation and Development
and the Housing Court judge have all ordered
her to repair my apartment and
my doctor is urging me to get surgery,
which I cannot get until I’m home and
have my own place to recover. What’s
happening to us is not right.”
Despite each apartment being covered
under the city’s rent-stabilization
law, tenants allege Yang is improperly
renting out rooms and some tenants
have been denied leases for decades.
Tenants also allege harassment by Yang,
including entering apartments without
BRONX TIMES R 12 EPORTER, OCT. 1-7, 2021 BTR
Kevin Brown, who was forced to live in a shelter due to a fi re in his Clay Avenue apartment
rallied with fellow tenants to protest the living conditions Sept. 23, 2021.
Photo courtesy Adrian Childress
notice or permission.
“This landlord is blatantly refusing
to repair dangerous living conditions in
this building, putting tenants at considerable
risk during a pandemic,” said Ezinwanyi
Ukegbu, a housing attorney at
Bronx Legal Services. “Worse, tenants
are also facing eviction. This is completely
unacceptable, which is why tenants
are taking action to hold the landlord
accountable. These tenants who
are immigrants, low-income, working
class and individuals of color, built and
shaped the very fabric of their neighborhood
and community and are here
to stay. We will never stop fi ghting until
we get justice for these tenants and their
families.”
Several tenants who suffered smoke
inhalation or bodily injuries while exiting
through the fi re escape during the
April fi re went to the hospital for treatment.
Some lost all their personal belongings
and were relocated to hotel
rooms through the Red Cross.
Most of the tenants living in the 10-
unit building are immigrants and working
class New Yorkers who lost work and
wages at the beginning of the pandemic
and are still struggling to survive. Since
they started organizing with Community
Action for Safe Apartments (CASA)
in May 2020, they have been joining
their allies on the front lines demanding
eviction protections and rent relief during
COVID-19.
“Ever since the fi re my daughter has
been scared to be alone in the apartment
because the electrical system has not
been fi xed and we still smell the smoke
in the walls, it’s so uncomfortable,” said
Fiordaliza Lora, a member of the local
tenants’ association. “And that’s not to
mention the repairs we’ve been waiting
for years.”
Lora, who has lived in the Clay Avenue
apartment building for six years,
told the Bronx Times that repairs are
needed in the bathroom, there’s broken
windows and no intercom or buzzer system
for the front door.
She added that sometimes the landlord
enters the apartment without notice
or knocking, which scares her 14-yearold
daughter. Lora said even when the
landlord “fi xes problems,” she uses
cheap materials, so nothing is truly ever
safe.
According to Yang, she is trying to
get everyone back in the building as
quick as possible. However, Yang, who
has been the landlord since 1986, has refused
to give her tenants a timeline for
when the repairs will be made and everyone
can return. She also claims the
fi re was caused by overloading an extension
cord, not faulty wiring.
“I have a person working here all the
time,” Yang said. “I’m working on it every
day.”
Clay Avenue tenants
cite neglect, rally for
overdue repairs
Display Advertising Rates & Deadlines: A copy of The Bronx Times Reporter Advertising Rates is available on request. Display
deadline is the Friday prior to publication. Camera ready copy deadline is the Monday preceding publication.
Classified Deadlines: To place a Classified Ad call (718) 260-2555 or email classified@schnepsmedia.com. Deadline: 3 p.m. Tuesday prior
to publication.
Legal Notice Deadlines: For Legal Advertising call (718) 260-3977 or email dwilson@schnepsmedia.com. Deadline: 12 p.m. Monday
prior to publication.
Letters To The Editor: Readers are encouraged to send us their viewpoints. Name and address must be included, but will be withheld
upon request. Letters should be as brief as possible, not exceeding 200 words.
News Items: Readers are welcome to suggest news items of interest. Call the Editorial Department at (718) 260-4597 or e-mail to
bronx times@schnepsmedia.com.
Around Town: Announcements of birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc. will gladly be published. All announcements must be
mailed to the Bronx Times Reporter 3604 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465, before the Friday preceding publication. No
phone calls please.
Community Calendar: Civic organizations, churches, synagogues and special interest groups can have their special event dates announced
free of charge. Mail should be addressed to Community Calendar and received no later than the Friday preceding publication.
Subscription Rates: Yearly subscriptions are $26.00; 2 years for $40.00, within Bronx county. Out of county subscriptions are $50.00
per year.
Change Of Address: Any problems or inquiries regarding a present subscription must be accompanied by the mailing label from your
newspaper showing complete name, address and subscription number (top left corner).
Copyright © 2021 by Bronx CNG LLC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied
or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by an information retrieval
system without the express written permission of the publisher. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements.
Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of Bronx Times Reporter, Inc.
is strictly prohibited.
link
link
link
link
link
link