Outside an affordable housing building in the Bronx, residents say rats have become an all-too-common sight, scurrying across the street in broad daylight and, according to neighbors, even darting over residents' feet as they enter and leave the building.
What happened?
According to the Riverdale Press, those complaints brought tenants and nearby residents to a press conference in late July, where they called for action from local officials.
According to the outlet, residents said they have documented what they describe as an infestation affecting the two-year-old building with 17 units, along with the neighboring housing complex.
At the press conference, the Riverdale Press noted that about a dozen residents stood with City Council member Eric Dinowitz and Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz to press city agencies and the building's management company, Alliah Management, to respond. The Riverdale Press reported that Alliah Management had no comment.
Adaysha Givens, a tenant and mother of two, said the situation had made her want to move out.
"This was supposed to be a fresh start for us," Givens said, as reported by the Riverdale Press, while holding her 3-year-old daughter. "It's supposed to be hard, but not this hard."
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Debbie Caruso, a longtime Amalgamated resident, said neighbors had made numerous 311 reports and contacted officials in city, state, and federal offices, the outlet reported.
The 17-unit property was developed through the city's affordable housing lottery, intended to provide residents with access to housing they might otherwise struggle to afford. But when a serious problem such as a rat infestation takes hold, residents with fewer housing options can feel trapped in a situation that threatens their comfort, safety, and quality of life.
What's being done?
In a joint letter cited by the Riverdale Press, Eric Dinowitz and Jeffrey Dinowitz asked several city agencies to intervene, saying the conditions were "threatening the health and safety of the tenants."
Residents say they are documenting the conditions and filing complaints through official channels, including 311.
"We can't keep waiting for others to respond. We, your cooperators, are hostage within our homes," Caruso wrote, as reported by the Riverdale Press. "This is not a way to live."
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