It's slime time - mold woes grow

[Guest guest]

She called on the city to make mold infestation a separate housing code violation with stiffer fines for landlords and require licenses for people who inspect mold problems.

"Mold exposure is a serious health concern in New York City," Gotbaum said. "Yet there is no established and enforceable protocol for mold assessment and remediation."

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com

It's slime time - mold woes grow BY GREG WILSONDAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU Friday, December 15th, 2006 Legendary socialite Bianca Jagger and Harlem single mom Tangia found common ground on the steps of City Hall yesterday, describing how mold infested their homes and sickened them while landlords did little to help. "Mold is a dangerous threat, regardless of where one lives or how much rent one pays," said Jagger, 60, who was forced to leave her Park Ave. pad four years ago because of mold. tearfully told how she and her three sons suffer from asthma, headaches and memory loss because of mold at their St. Ave. home. "We just want a decent place to live," she said. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, who called the news conference, said the Department of Health saw mold complaints increase to 16,452 from 861 in 1999-2004. She called on the city to make mold infestation a separate housing code violation with stiffer fines for landlords and require licenses for people who inspect mold problems. "Mold exposure is a serious health concern in New York City," Gotbaum said. "Yet there is no established and enforceable protocol for mold assessment and remediation." Jagger sued landlord Katz Park Ave. Corp. in 2003 for $20 million and must pay her $4,614 monthly rent into an escrow account while living elsewhere and as she continues her legal fight. Katz lawyer Davies did not return messages. said that she is still living in her unit, and accused her landlord of harassing her for complaining. Her landlord, Bronx-based Prestige Management, declined to comment.

[Guest guest]

New York's situation is similar to the situation in other cities with rent control in that rents are regulated while a tenant stays in the unit, but then are allowed to rise when they move (or *are driven*) out.The overheated rental market has meant that the going rate is going up fast, and while tenants in nonregulated areas just see stiff rent increases, tenants in places like New York enjoy more stability. Their rent is tied to the CPI for housing and typically, it only goes up a few percent a year. Meanwhile, rents for new apartments are skyrocketing. This is good for endangered middle class folks in these cities, who would otherwise not be able to afford to live in the places they often work. If they have a healthy place to live that is. If they have problems, complain, and don't get any enforcement, their only choice is to move, but with rents for apartments being what they are now, often that means they have to move out of town. For older urban dwellers, who often are on fixed incomes. don't have cars or drive, cars being a liability in many big cities, this can be an impossibility. If they do move, their landlord gets to raise the rent for the unit, and since rentals are in such short supply, the unit is re-rented immediately. Even if no repairs have been done.

She called on the city to make mold infestation a separate housing code violation with stiffer fines for landlords and require licenses for people who inspect mold problems.

" Mold exposure is a serious health concern in New York City, " Gotbaum said. " Yet there is no established and enforceable protocol for mold assessment and remediation. "

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com

It's slime time - mold woes grow BY GREG WILSONDAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU Friday, December 15th, 2006 Legendary socialite Bianca Jagger and Harlem single mom Tangia found common ground on the steps of City Hall yesterday, describing how mold infested their homes and sickened them while landlords did little to help. " Mold is a dangerous threat, regardless of where one lives or how much rent one pays, " said Jagger, 60, who was forced to leave her Park Ave. pad four years ago because of mold. tearfully told how she and her three sons suffer from asthma, headaches and memory loss because of mold at their St. Ave. home. " We just want a decent place to live, " she said. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, who called the news conference, said the Department of Health saw mold complaints increase to 16,452 from 861 in 1999-2004. She called on the city to make mold infestation a separate housing code violation with stiffer fines for landlords and require licenses for people who inspect mold problems. " Mold exposure is a serious health concern in New York City, " Gotbaum said. " Yet there is no established and enforceable protocol for mold assessment and remediation. " Jagger sued landlord Katz Park Ave. Corp. in 2003 for $20 million and must pay her $4,614 monthly rent into an escrow account while living elsewhere and as she continues her legal fight. Katz lawyer Davies did not return messages. said that she is still living in her unit, and accused her landlord of harassing her for complaining. Her landlord, Bronx-based Prestige Management, declined to comment.