Dozens of tenants who live in the apartment building at 1834 Caton Ave. gathered for a spirited rally in front of the Church Avenue station of the Q train on Saturday, July 8, to advocate for better living conditions in their apartments. Several supporters, including Brooklyn Council Member Rita Joseph, joined them.
The rally was hosted by 1834 Caton Tenants United, a group of tenants living in the 84-unit building. The tenants say they’ve suffered years of disrepair and substandard living conditions. Through the New York City Housing Court, the group has filed an HP action against the building’s landlord, a motion designed to force the landlord to make repairs.
“People aren't living in good conditions and have really just gotten sick and tired of it at this point,” said Natalia Marques, a tenant in the building since 2021.
Marques, who lives in a unit with two roommates, said that her apartment contained an open pipe that leaked brown sludge when she moved in. The leak created a hole in the floorboard, where cockroaches crawled through. The hole in the floor has since been repaired, Marques said.
“I would find them in my bed at night,” Marques said of the vermin.
According to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the building currently has 277 open violations. Of those violations, 79 are class C violations, which are classified as immediately hazardous — like a lack of heat or exposure to lead paint.
During the rally, the tenants raised concerns about ceiling leaks, frequent water shut-offs, vermin, lead exposure and an elevator that residents often get stuck in.
"[The landlord] never comes, or when he comes, he is sending people who are inexperienced or don't really know what they're doing and aren't fixing things appropriately," Marques said of the repairs.
The building came under new ownership in 2015 when 1834 Caton Partners LLC purchased it, according to the NYC Department of Finance. But, long-term residents of the building said its conditions have remained poor for decades, and, despite violations, the landlord has faced no serious repercussions.
“They hit them with how many thousands and millions of dollars in fines, but they’re still able to keep the building no matter what it is they get hit with,” said a building resident at the rally who did not want to be identified.
Jonathan Samet, the building’s landlord, is ranked 39 out of 99 on the NYC Public Advocate’s 2022 Worst Landlord Watchlist.
The Caton Avenue building is not the only building in the landlord’s portfolio with a history of disrepair. In December 2022, 617 West 141st Street in Harlem — a building that Samet is the landlord of — suffered a large electrical fire. The fire displaced 43 families in the building. Yashira Rodriguez, a tenant in the building whose family was displaced, spoke at Saturday’s rally.
“I am an example of, unfortunately, what could happen if these repairs are not made,” said Rodriguez.
Jonathan Samet did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Joseph, who represents Brooklyn’s 40th council district, which is where the building is located, was at the rally to voice her support.
“We need to look into holding HPD accountable to make sure that these repairs are being done on time,” said Joseph. “People cannot live in dilapidated spaces like this anymore.”
In May, City Council voted to pass the Worst Landlord Law, which aims to prevent fraudulent repairs by landlords, making them unable to certify their own repairs. The law will also increase penalties for violations.
“All New Yorkers deserve a safe place to call home, which building owners have a responsibility to provide," a spokesperson for HPD said. "We support all tenants in their pursuit of addressing issues in their buildings and will continue to issue violations by responding to their complaints. We have open litigation against the owner regarding the false certification of violations and will take the appropriate steps to see that conditions in fact improve.”
"We deserve good quality housing — it's a human right. We shouldn't have to go through the court to get it,” said Marques. “Good quality housing is more important than whatever profit our landlord can make from cutting corners."
