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NYCHA's Vacant Units Attract Squatters to Harlem River Houses

By Gustavo Solis | June 25, 2015 1:19pm
 Squatters have been living in vacant apartments in the Harlem River Houses, according to a new report by Comptroller Scott Stringer. 
Harlem River Houses
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HARLEM — Squatters have been taking advantage of NYCHA's lax monitoring by use vacant units at the Harlem River Houses as their homes, according to a new report by Comptroller Scott Stringer.

Many of the top floor units of the Harlem River Houses on 152nd Street and Lenox Avenue have been vacant for at least 3 years because of a leaky roof that has not been repaired. 

For residents like Samantha Cortez, that means having to put up with unexpected neighbors. 

"One morning I was going to work, it was around 6 a.m., and I heard somebody snoring up there," she said. "I called the police right away."

The squatters, are just one consequence of NYCHA's failure to keep track of their vacant units, according to Stringer's audit.

The housing authority has lost out in millions in rent by leaving more than 2,300 units vacant citywide. They also prevent more than 270,000 in NYCHA's waiting list from finding a place to live, according to the audit.

The squatters sneak in through unsecured doors and windows.

“We found two apartments that were previously occupied by squatters and another that was used by a squatter during our visit [to the Harlem River Houses],” the Comptroller's report stated. “NYCHA staff could not get the door to this apartment open using the keys, so a maintenance person climbed through an unsecured window from the roof top and gained access to the apartment.”

Once inside they found graffiti all over the walls, empty liquor bottles on the floor and trashed apartments.

Residents have heard footsteps and other noises from units that are meant to be vacant.

“Of course we are worried,” said Harlem River Houses Resident Jisele Hearne. “Anyone can come in and you don’t know what they are going to do. They can smoke weed and leave the gas on. It’s not safe living someplace where nobody is monitoring.”

Hearne lives above a unit that was recently vacated because of a fire. She is worried that if NYCHA doesn’t keep an eye on it, there could be people living there soon, she said.

The audit asks NYCHA to revamp their policy when it comes to monitoring vacant units, especially those that are vacant because of extensive repairs like the ones at Harlem River Houses.

“NYCHA has a record low vacancy rate of only 1 percent—the lowest it’s been in nearly 10 years," NYCHA said in a statement. "With thousands of families on the waiting list for public housing and residents with critical pending transfer needs, managing and turning over our vacant apartments effectively and efficiently is vital to our operations.”

The Housing Authority has already started capital repair projects in many developments. Major repairs, like roof replacement will be funded by the Mayor's $300 million commitment, according to the statement.

Some people in Harlem River Houses were optimistic because new scaffolding around the development has brought constructions workers to the roof.

If the roof is fixed, the apartments shouldn’t be vacant much longer, said Keith Johns, 69.

“The vacant units are on the top roof,” he said. “Nobody has been living there because of the roof. They might as well be living outside.”