Mayor signs healthy housing legislation

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Mayor signs healthy housing legislation

by DeLuca, Chronicle Contributor

01/20/2011

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20454523 & BRD=2731 & PAG=461 & dept_id=5755\

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Mold causes respiratory problems in children — especially those who suffer with

asthma.

Mayor Bloomberg signed legislation last Thursday to expand the 2007 Safe

Housing Act by cracking down on unsafe housing conditions in the city.

The main focus of the law, which the City Council passed 49-0 on Jan. 5, is

to strengthen enforcement of existing housing code violations in the worst

buildings, as well as force landlords to pay for the repairs. The new changes

are meant to improve housing conditions by getting rid of mold conditions and

vermin infestationk, which trigger asthma and other health-related problems.

Dr. Habi Jabbar, director of the Pediatric Asthma Center for New York

Hospital Queens, confirmed most of the patients that step foot in his office are

from " underserved areas. "

" Mold can cause a lot of respiratory illnesses, " Jabbar said. " Children who

have problems with asthma are more prone to get sick as opposed to other

children without asthma. "

He also said that residents should rid their home of any mold even though it

may be difficult to find in hidden areas.

" People should look and see where they can get help to keep their home mold

free, " said Jabbar.

The new law seeks to fix unhealthy housing conditions by expanding the

Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Alternative Enforcement

Program. Until now, the HPD would identify the top 200 buildings every year with

the worst housing code violations for the AEP. Buildings are selected for the

program based on the number of outstanding violations, the ratio of violations

to apartments and the ratio of outstanding emergency repair charges paid by the

city to the number of apartments. As it was, it only affected about 1,000 units

citywide. The new legislation allows larger buildings to qualify for AEP which

will increase the number of units affected to 3,500.

Once problem buildings are identified, landlords will be notified immediately

to rectify the matter within a certain time frame. If the owners do not get up

to code, the city will make the improvements and bill the landlords or place a

lien on the properties, if necessary. After the repairs, the city will monitor

the buildings at least once every three months to ensure they will not be

neglected.

" This new legislation cracks down on lawless landlords whose dangerously

substandard buildings threaten the health of thousands of New York City families

every day, " said Friedman, co-executive director of Make the Road New

York, an advocacy group that focuses on issues faced by the lower classes.

" Asthma is epidemic in low-income communities of color throughout our city, and

this bill is an important step toward ending the impunity that is literally

taking our children's breath away. "

Another major change to the AEP is the means by which a building can be

discharged from the program. Until now, the HPD could discharge a building from

the program only if the code violations are rectified, the outstanding charges

and fees were fully paid and the building registered with HPD for continued

monitoring. Under the new legislation, the HPD will allow the acceptance of a

payment agreement as another means to be discharged from the program. Smaller

buildings that may have difficulties paying off the fees will benefit from the

new option, according to the mayor's office.