NEWBURGH – Tenants of the Kenney Apartments in the City of Newburgh, who have been living without heat and hot water for months, will have their day in court.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James says she’ll make sure of it. James made the announcement Monday in Newburgh along with local lawmakers and city officials.
The Attorney General’s office filed the lawsuit just hours before her announcement. The complaint, filed in Orange County, is against the owners and management of The Kenney Apartments on Walsh Road, which is currently for sale.
It seeks a court order, requiring the owners to fix all outstanding violations, including boilers and to eliminate mold, repair unsafe structures and rehabilitate condemned apartments.
The suit also seeks restitution for tenants, penalties for the owners and the appointment of an independent monitor to make sure that repairs are completed without retaliation against tenants, who make a complaint or withhold rent.
“Landlords are responsible for providing safe and decent housing. Period. They do not get to profit while families struggle and suffer, particularly during this cold spell,” said James. “And if you break the law, my office will hold you accountable. It’s important that bad landlords know the law applies to them.”
Newburgh Councilman Rob McLymore said he worked alongside city staff to correct the issues and when management stopped responding, he called the State Attorney General’s office to escalate the matter.
“With the Attorney General’s support, we will continue to ensure that every resident has a secure and safe home, and we will hold these property owners accountable,” said McLymore.
Horrific living conditions at the Kenney Apartments came to light last month after a resident Town Hall meeting.
Over 100 tenants desperately voiced concerns over deplorable living conditions that include black mold, mice infestation, faulty wiring, broken appliances, missing smoke detectors, flooding and raw sewage.
City officials say several of the apartments have, since, been condemned.
“Decent housing is a human right,” said City of Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey. “We’ve been fighting slumlords in the city of Newburgh and in urban cities across the state and the nation. It is ridiculous that people don’t have heat and hot water during one of the coldest winters on record.”
Harvey says, since the Attorney General stepped in, there has been some remediation of the boilers and underground leaks at the complex.
Despite claims on Monday from the City of Newburgh that all heat has been restored to the Kenney’s 120 units, residents say they are still living in freezing conditions.
Long-time resident Wilhemena Lamb, who has been without heat and hot water for nearly a year, became emotional as she thanked the Attorney General for taking action.
“I’m so glad you came out to help. Thank you so much,” said Lamb. “But, right now, I don’t have heat and my water isn’t even warm. I can’t use my sink. At 72-years-old, I shouldn’t have to carry buckets of water up the stairs to bathe.”
“About half of Kenney residents are still freezing, without heat and hot water,” said Councilwoman Tamika Stewart, who represents Ward 3 and organized last month’s town hall meeting. “The city is lying.”
“We’re not stepping away, and we will continue to monitor the conditions at The Kenney Apartments as the legal process proceeds,” said Letitia James.
The Attorney General added that Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is working with individual tenants to bring private claims of action.
Mayor Harvey noted that there is a potential buyer for The Kenney Apartments, that has presented to the city twice in order to re-develop the property.
He says a pilot agreement would be required to protect current residents.
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