Tenants in a Mount Hope apartment building say their elevator has been down for months and that their landlord not only refuses to fix it, but that there are other problems as well.
For resident Evelyn Esperanza, the elevator being out of service has made life harder for her disabled son.
“I’m on the fourth floor. I used to have to pay somebody to carry my son up the stairs,” said Esperanza. “I'm very upset. I'm mad as hell, to be honest.”
The elevator has an inspection notice that says it would be addressed between March 19-20, but the elevator remains out of service.
“The problem here is that nothing gets fixed,” said tenant Judith Alvarez. “I’ve been to the doctor, now I have asthma. I cannot walk up five flights.”
Alvarez uses a walker and cane and needs elevator access. She says she has complained to management and 311 but that nothing has been done.
Fellow resident Atiba Washington says that the issues don’t stop with just broken elevators – she says mold and cracked ceilings are issues for some tenants as well.
The Housing Preservation and Development department provided the following statement:
Every person deserves to have a safe and comfortable place to call home, and it is the property manager's responsibility to follow the City’s Housing Code by promptly addressing violations. HPD Enforcement is very active in this building and we will continue addressing tenant complaints, conducting inspections, and issuing violations to ensure that all New Yorkers feel safe and secure in their own homes.
News 12 has reached out to the landlord for comment and is awaiting a response.