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MTA reneges on promise, Second Avenue residents continue to be ‘homeless’
1873 Second Avenue (source: PropertyShark)
The residents of 1873 Second Avenue won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving in the comfort of their own homes this year.
Less than 48 hours before the Metropolitan Transit Authority was supposed to return displaced residents of this 12-unit rental building back to their apartments, the agency reneged on its promise. Residents will spend another four weeks in temporary housing, paid for by the MTA.
The MTA e-mailed notification of the delay to residents at approximately 6:30 p.m. yesterday (see document below). As The Real Deal previously reported, residents were supposed to gain access to their apartments tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Kevin Ortiz, an MTA spokesperson, responded to inquiries with a statement similar to the letter residents received. In a follow-up email, Ortiz explained that the stabilization issues were discovered recently, as they developed. The authority rescheduled residents’ move-in date to Dec. 4.
Frustrations continue to mount.
“I’m glad our safety has been taken into consideration, but I really just don’t want to spend the holidays at a hotel,” said a resident who wished to remain anonymous. “I want to be at home with my stuff.”
That would include winter clothes, which she said are currently in storage and inaccessible.