Red Hook Gardens Residents Demand Landlord Make Overdue Repairs

RESIDENTS CALL ON LANDLORD, CARROLL GARDENS ASS., TO FIX DILAPIDATED APARTMENTS AND GRANT RIGHT TO RETURN TO HOMES

On Saturday, residents of Red Hook Gardens gathered outside their Dwight Street, Brooklyn apartments and demanded that their landlord, the Carroll Gardens Association (CGA), make long overdue and necessary repairs to their dilapidated apartments, and provide guarantees that all residents will have a unit available to them after the complex is redeveloped.

The renters were joined at a press conference with Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation (Brooklyn A) and gave a walkthrough of one of the apartments to see the dire conditions residents have endured, which included leaks, mold, roaches, mice and holes in the floor.

“This is our home, where we raised our kids and supported each other as neighbors. We are a community and don’t deserve to be treated like second-class citizens,” said Quadina Louis, Tenant Association President at Red Hook Gardens and resident for more than 10 years. “We will not be ignored and fight for our rights as tenants.”

Brooklyn A is representing 25 Red Hook Gardens tenants and has filed an HP Action (a case filed against a landlord for not making repairs or providing services) for the complex.

“CGA have left unaddressed countless quality of life and safety issues across the four-part complex – there are broken light switches, defective electrical work, collapsing walls, and no hot water,” said Johnny Rivera, Tenant Organizer at Brooklyn A who’s been organizing with the Red Hook Gardens residents. “In one building, residents have gone without mailboxes for more than a year, forcing them to walk to the post office weekly to collect their mail. These conditions are unacceptable.”

“What our Red Hook Gardens neighbors are asking for is the same thing we all want for our families: a safe, secure, affordable place to live,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Instead, they’re living in apartments plagued by mold, pests, and disrepair. We need the Carroll Gardens Association to do right by their tenants, to ensure their current apartments are in a state of good repair, and to guarantee that the redevelopment results in a brighter future for residents.”

Additionally, many Red Hook Gardens tenants have lost their Section 8 housing vouchers because their unit was not up to code due to neglected repairs.

Red Hook Gardens is managed by CGA, a non-profit that plans to demolish and redevelop the complex in the coming year. The organization has offered relocation assistance to residents but, amid New York City’s housing affordability crisis, residents are concerned they will not be able to find a suitable unit during the redevelopment period and feel CGA has not done enough to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. Residents also want a guarantee that they’ll be able to return to the complex once construction is complete.

“While CGA’s goal of building new affordable housing with the project is admirable, the organization has not taken sufficient steps to ensure all current residents remain comfortably housed throughout the redevelopment process,” said Rivera.

At the walkthrough on Saturday, Lori Jones invited the press into her unit to see the conditions she’s endured. Mold, rats, and leaks have been consistent problems for her—the bathroom door is completely off its hinges and last year her daughter fell through a hole in the floor.

“I just want the work done,” Jones said. “We thought we would be here forever.”

See local coverage of Red Hook Gardens from this weekend:

• CBS New York: Dozens of Brooklyn tenants suing landlord for neglect, needed repairs
• BK Reader: Tenants File Lawsuit Against Red Hook Gardens Landlord Over Unresolved Repairs