Coney Island tenants demand action over rats, garbage, broken elevators and lack of gas
Tenants at Sea Park East told News 12 the conditions have become part of their daily lives.
Residents of a Coney Island apartment complex say they are desperate for help after months of dealing with rodents, mold, massive piles of garbage, broken elevators and a lack of gas.
Tenants at Sea Park East told News 12 the conditions have become part of their daily lives.
“We just need help," said resident Queen Brown. "That’s why we called y’all out here."
Lourdes Rivera said her daughter, who has Down syndrome, lives inside the apartment complex and has been dealing with rodents taking over her kitchen.
“They’re big rodents up to here, from the knee up,” Rivera said.
Melanie Worthy said her elderly mother is wheelchair-bound and has repeatedly been unable to leave her apartment because of elevator problems.
“My mom was trapped in her apartment for eight months because she’s wheelchair bound, her medical supplies couldn't be delivered," Worthy said.
Angela Jones has lived at Sea Park East for 33 years and is now collecting signatures from her neighbors to take the issue to housing court.
“It’s disgusting and I’m so surprised that they let it get like this,” Jones said. “We shouldn’t have to live like this,” she added.
Residents said the building’s trash compactor broke about two months ago, causing garbage to pile up in the parking lot and making the rodent infestation even worse.
“When I look out the window, I wanna cry,” Jones said.
According to New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development records, the property has 361 violations. Those include violations issued as recently as Sunday for a lack of gas and hot water, a rodent infestation and mold.
News 12 brought the residents’ concerns to GRC Management, the company overseeing the property.
The company said it is coordinating with the Department of Sanitation and is increasing garbage collection from once a week to twice a week. Management also said it is hiring additional exterminators and working to address the elevators, gas outages and other issues raised by tenants.
GRC provided the following statement to News 12:
“Since becoming the property manager at Sea Park East in December, we have worked tirelessly to address any quality-of-life concerns at the property. We are committed to creating the best residential experience for our community and have already made great strides in addressing the issues that matter most to residents, addressing 421 HPD complaints since December. We will continue to work closely with Sea Park residents to develop and implement strategies that keep the property as pristine as possible.”
HPD said it is working with management to address the recent violations.
The agency also said Sea Park East is part of the state’s Mitchell-Lama housing program.
News 12 reached out to the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal and is awaiting a response.
