The city’s Department of Buildings handed out fliers Wednesday in Brooklyn detailing the dangers of illegally converted apartments, following the death of an East New York tenant, who was unable to escape his illegal cellar unit during a fire (see flier after the jump).

The DOB, which is also raising awareness of the issue on Twitter, included a list of common traits among illegal apartments in its pamphlet, including padlocks on bedroom doors and electricity supplied by extension cords. Also of concern are cellar apartments and attic units, which often don’t provide enough exits. [more]

The number of stalled construction sites citywide is continuing to climb, according to a report released today by the New York Building Congress. There were 692 stalled construction projects as of October, the report says, which is based on inspection records from the Department of Buildings. That number is up 52 percent from the number reported during the same time a year earlier. Brooklyn had the most stalled sites, with 319 halted projects recorded, 46 percent of the total number in New York City. [more]

The number of stalled construction projects continues to mount, as the most recent set of Department of Buildings statistics shows an upsurge of 42 percent in Brooklyn sites and 40 percent in Manhattan sites since the summer. Brooklyn is home to 245 stalled developments, which comprise almost half of the Department’s 527-building list. Of those, 80 are in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, and 18 are in Borough Park. Manhattan has 80 projects that sit unfinished. Staten Island has 33, more than double the number recorded this summer, and Queens now has 144, a 6 percent rise. Stalled construction sites are bad news for residents as well as the housing industry: they’re often fraught with code violations, safety issues, and sometimes, partying teens. A City Council bill last month provided developers with incentives to keep their stalled sites safe while waiting for the funds necessary to continue with their projects. [NYDN]