Landlords with violations get stimulus funds

Some of the landlords in New York City with the highest numbers of housing code violations are receiving a share of $81 million of federal stimulus money, with no requirement that they make repairs to their buildings, the New York Daily News reported. Seven properties that have received or are slated to get $1.5 million in stimulus money would make the Slumlord Watch List proposed by City Council member Bill de Blasio, who is running for public advocate. To qualify for the list, a property with 35 or more units must have at least two “hazardous” or “immediately hazardous” violations per unit. The 138-unit building at 234 Herkimer Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant qualifies with 374 violations, and the owner, Restore Housing Development, is set to get $270,602 in stimulus funds.

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