Round 5 List of 200 ‘Worst’ City Buildings Released; Brooklyn Has Most
NEW YORK CITY — Brooklyn has the most entries in the recent list of “200 Worst Residential Buildings in New York City,” released by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).
With 107 buildings and 735 units, Brooklyn had more than the four other boroughs combined, according to a published statement from HPD Commissioner Mathew Wambua, who said the 200 residential buildings have been placed into the agency’s fifth round of the Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP). The AEP, which was originally signed into law in 2007, is aimed at increasing pressure on the owners of the most distressed buildings to bring them up to code so that the residents are not forced to live in substandard and hazardous conditions.
“AEP has proven to be an effective way to corral these bad buildings and deal with them in a comprehensive manner,” said Wambua. “Since the new amendments to AEP were adopted last year we’ve seen a rise in the rate at which buildings are discharged from the program, as well as a substantial uptick in the repayment of emergency and other repair costs. It is unfortunate that some owners will only respond when punitive measures are brought to bear.
“AEP can be a driving force for neighborhood stabilization,” Wambua added.