Concourse Village Co-Op shareholders rally over living conditions
Tenants said the issues include broken elevators, rusty pipes and cracked foundation.
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Dozens of shareholders rallied on Saturday for better living conditions at their Concourse Village Co-Op, which is made up of about 1,800 units across six buildings.
Tenants said the issues include broken elevators, rusty pipes and cracked foundation.
“You’re just waiting for a disaster,” said Ernestine Simmons, a shareholder. “How can I live like that? I’m terrified!”
Tenants said a key concern was the parking garage, which they have not had access to in nearly three years due to a vacate order from the Department of Buildings [DOB], and it could be another two years until it is fixed.
“It totally makes no sense,” said Kisha Douglas, another shareholder. “[The garage] should be done now. There’s no work going on at all. We’re not even told why the work is not being done.”
Shareholders said their maintenance fee increased twice last year, and now it is going up again on July 1.
“If we get the service that we’re supposed to get, you wouldn’t complain about the increase,” said Alice Betrand, another shareholder. “A lot of these people are on fixed income.”
Tenants voiced frustrations to the Board of Directors who attended the rally, including Board President Rosetta Kirkland, who said the fee increase was not finalized.
“We are waiting to hear back from HPD on whether or not we have an increase,” Kirkland said. “We can’t share information if we don’t have information.”
Kirkland added the overall improvements will take time.
“We need a good $80 million to fix everything,” she said.
News 12 asked the Board about the parking garage and the timeline until it’s open.
“We have to have our contractors examine the property, examine the infrastructure toward making repairs,” said David Lisbon, assistant treasurer of the Board.
The DOB told News 12 that there are no active stop work orders at the site and the DOB has not been asked to inspect the property.
