Six New York City council members bent city housing laws to the brink of their breaking point to obtain affordable homes, according to a Daily News investigative report.
Council members Jumaane Williams, Fernando Cabrera, Peter Koo and Matthieu Eugene allegedly received as much as $1,500 in tax breaks by reporting primary residences outside of their council district homes.
Council member Erik Dilan lives in a home reserved for families earning less than $114,000 even though he and his wife combined to earn $45,000 more than that, said the Daily News. Darlene Mealy moved into an apartment available for families making less than $15,200 in 1993, but within two years made a $14,000 down payment on a $90,000 home nearby. Williams was also found to have illegally converted the basement of his apartments.
When the council members were reached for comment, they denied any wrongdoings.
A separate Daily News investigation found that residents of the four Harlem apartment buildings co-owned by council woman Inez Dickens complained of vermin, collapsed ceilings, and inconsistent heat. The buildings’ owners owe the city more than $100,000 in unpaid property taxes. [NYDN]