Community activist calls for cleanup of Mount Hope ‘trash home’ near school

A Mount Hope home is littered with needles and trash, and one community activist is calling on the owner to clean it up.

News 12 Staff

May 31, 2019, 11:40 AM

Updated 1,801 days ago

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A Mount Hope home is littered with needles and trash, and one community activist is calling on the owner to clean it up.
Community activist Sydney Flores says if the owner refuses to clean up he wants the city to step in and start issuing violations.
The home at 247 East 175th St. is steps away from where children walk to school.

"We saw needles upstairs, actually I saw those needles the first time today when I noticed blood stains on the wall,” says Flores.

The Department of Buildings says there was an illegal cellar apartment in the home back in 2013 and issued a partial vacate order. 

They say in subsequent years the DOB has issued multiple follow-up violations for continued non-compliance to remove the illegal apartment. 

It now appears no one lives inside, but there's plenty of trash outside. 

"You got kids going back and forth in this neighborhood, little kids and you never know if a rat is going to come out of there and bite somebody,” says Flores.

The Department of Sanitation says building owners are responsible to keep properties clean.
According to city’s Department of Finance records, the home is owned by 175th Street LLC. 
News 12 was unsuccessful in speaking to someone with knowledge of ownership of the property.
Officials say neighbors can report dirty conditions to 311, to keep problems like this from getting worse.


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