NYC Mayor Showcases ‘Affordable’ Housing with 200 Violations

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently highlighted a Bronx apartment complex, intended to showcase the capabilities of his new housing commissioner, Dina Levy. However, the building has been found to have nearly 200 unresolved housing-code violations, raising concerns about its management and the living conditions for tenants.

The property at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Morris Heights neighborhood is owned by a nonprofit organization and has accumulated a staggering 194 open violations since 2016. This includes 88 “Class C” violations, which are classified as “immediately hazardous.” Mamdani visited the complex on January 4, 2026, to introduce Levy, who previously served as a tenant’s rights advocate and state housing official.

Levy, who will receive an annual salary of $277,605, played a key role in the 2011 transaction that transferred the Sedgwick Avenue complex from private ownership to the nonprofit Workforce Housing Advisors. Despite this transition, tenants have expressed dissatisfaction with the current management. Many claim their living conditions have deteriorated, with complaints about a lack of maintenance, broken appliances, and infestations of pests.

One tenant, who has rented her three-bedroom apartment since 1999, reported that her unit frequently lacks heat and hot water. She described the bathroom and kitchen as crumbling and stated that the windows need replacement. This tenant, along with others in the building, has had to deal with numerous open violations filed with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

The situation at the Sedgwick Avenue building contradicts Mamdani’s campaign promise to provide quality, affordable housing for New Yorkers. His administration aims to replace private landlords with nonprofit entities, yet critics argue that nonprofit ownership has not resulted in better conditions.

Kenny Burgos, a former Bronx assemblyman and head of the New York Apartment Association, noted that the Sedgwick Avenue site has more open HPD violations than approximately three-quarters of the privately owned, rent-stabilized buildings in New York City. He stated that nonprofit-managed housing typically has higher violation counts despite receiving government-backed loans and paying property taxes, suggesting a failure to manage these properties effectively.

Despite the criticisms, an HPD spokesman defended Levy’s actions during the acquisition of the Sedgwick Avenue building. According to Matt Rauschenbach, the department’s spokesman, Levy worked to keep the building affordable when it was at risk of being sold to a predatory buyer. He also mentioned that the site is currently undergoing an $8 million renovation to improve conditions for tenants.

The disparity between the promises made by Mamdani’s administration and the reality faced by tenants highlights the challenges of managing affordable housing in New York City. As the city grapples with a housing crisis, the situation at Sedgwick Avenue serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in providing sustainable living conditions.