Passaic residents band together to fight against ‘deplorable’ conditions in their apartments
The tenants are complaining about mold, poor security and a lack of help from the Perez Group – the company that owns and manages many of the properties.
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A group of tenants in Passaic are banding together to fight back against what they call deplorable living conditions within their apartments.
They're complaining about mold, poor security and a lack of help from the Perez Group – the company which owns and manages many of the properties.
Tenants rallied outside of Passaic City Hall on Wednesday with signs that read, “Housing is a Human Right." With the help of the nonprofit, “Make the Road New Jersey” they turned in 47 formal complaints to the Passaic Buildings and Codes Department.
Maria Montesinos, with Make the Road New Jersey, said the response was positive.
“They said they’ll be calling the tenants to conduct inspections within a week,” she says.
The complaints spoke of rent hikes without upgrades, garbage piles outside buildings, mold, a lack of smoke alarms and rats.
Felix Gallardo lives in one of the buildings owned by the Perez Group.
Through a translator, she said, “I also had mold growing in my apartment and then, when I reached out to the landlord, they didn’t listen and I was rejected many times.”
"My apartment didn’t have fire alarms we didn’t have security at the front door and didn’t feel safe in our apartment,” Gallardo says.
At her building along Henry Avenue, the back door to the building was wide open, allowing for anyone to walk inside. The rear parking lot had trash piled near the building.
Monica Hernandez also lives in the building. She's a single mother to four children living in a two-bedroom apartment.
“When it rains, I start getting leakage. It’s in the bedroom, living room and air vents,” Hernandez says.
She has called for help but when repairs are made she says they're superficial.
“They come and cover it up with paint or whatever, make it look pretty,” says Hernandez.
Hernandez says her rent recently went up $400.
“I can’t keep moving my kids. I have my kids in schools close by, so I’ll have to stay put,” she says.
News 12 has reached out to the Perez Group and was told that someone will get back with a response.
