Tenants at an affordable housing complex in the Bronx are angry, scared and upset about homeless people who have moved into their building.
Residents of 1802 Crotona Avenue in the South Bronx say that the developer of their building, the Stagg Group, moved homeless families into 44 of the 55 units months after they signed their leases, and their building has since been suffering from panhandling, threats and fights, according to the New York Post.
Security needs to frisk all visitors and tenants, who say the situation gets particularly bad when shelter staffers leave the building over the weekends. Residents also said they were originally told the building would only be used as a shelter for a few months and feel like they have been scammed.
Stagg and other landlords can get up to $3,000 per month per unit in city subsidies to house the homeless, which is much more than what other tenants would pay in rent.
Stagg is among the most active developers in the Bronx, and drew controversy earlier this month when it decided to change a luxury housing building planned for 5731 Broadway in Kingsbridge into a homeless shelter. The local community board then asked the Department of Investigation to probe the Stagg Group for misrepresentation.
The developer released a statement to the Post in response to tenant complaints at 1802 Crotona Avenue, saying that “homeless families should be integrated into communities as they transition to permanent and stable housing, and should be treated with the utmost respect and dignity.” [NYP] — Eddie Small