Residents in the Flatbush Gardens apartment complex rallied for better living conditions on June 27, reported Brooklyn Paper.
The residents are claiming that management has long overlooked rodent infestation, crumbling walls and ceilings, and improper plumbing.
For tenant Jocelyn Fenton, the lights in her apartment are a disaster. The person who came to fix one of them didn't do a good job. Fenton said, “Nobody has fixed it, all he did was tape it over and the light went out. It’s a complete mess.”
The complex, built and first opened in 1950, was purchased by Clipper Realty in 2009 — raising alarm bells with longtime residents. Clipper Realty is part of the residential landlord and development firm Clipper Equity.
Kimberly Oliver is a long-term occupant and member of the complex’s tenant association. In addition to residents' claims, Oliver says building administration is unresponsive, disrespectful and often indifferent to the complaints they receive.
As a result, the tenant association has resorted to bringing in local elected officials to help them fight for justice, including New York City Councilmember Farah Louis.
Additionally, tenants are asking Clipper Equity to provide sanitary conditions, to clean the buildings properly, and to provide necessary repairs to apartments.
Furthermore, Louis says that if Clipper Equity can't provide these necessities for residents, they should leave the neighborhood.
