Newark Renters Return Home After City Shuts Down Building

NEWARK, NJ — Residents of a Newark apartment complex have returned home after being temporarily evacuated due to concerns about rodents, roaches and mold in the building, city officials said.

On Wednesday, the City of Newark posted a video update about the situation at 17-23 Stratford Place, where residents were ordered out of the building just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The shut down came after a surprise inspection from the city’s mayor, police and fire departments, health department and code enforcement office on Nov. 11.

During that inspection, officials found “safety hazards” that needed to be dealt with immediately, said Thomas McDonald, code enforcement manager with the City of Newark.

Hazards at the tax-subsidized building allegedly included rodents, insects and mold, ABC New York reported.

The residents of the apartment building were removed from the building on Nov. 23 after the city filed a complaint with the municipal and superior courts. The city relocated them to nearby hotel rooms, which were charged to the owner of the building.

City officials found the “immediate issues were abated” during a Nov. 29 reinspection, and allowed residents to return home on the day after Thanksgiving.

“We certified it was a safe environment for the tenants to return to,” McDonald said.

Lynne Patton, HUD regional administrator for New York and New Jersey, offered a statement about the building to ABC New York:

“Not only did HUD fine the negligent ownership of 17-23 Stratford over half a million dollars in civil money penalties, but on November 6, HUD forced the sale of the property to a new preservation buyer who is committed to correcting these longstanding health and safety code violations immediately.”

A man who identified himself as the property manager of the building told Pix 11 News that the new owners didn’t have enough time to complete all of the repairs before it was ordered shut down.

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