Flatbush Councilman Wants Landlords to Turn Up the Heat

Syndicated from Kings County Politics

FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN — Flatbush Councilman Jumaane D. Williams is challenging the Bill de Blasio administration to quit dragging its feet on a proposed measure to increase the minimum temperature that landlords have to provide residents inside their apartments.

The proposed bill, Intro 0722, would also remove buildings' outside daytime and nighttime temperature trigger, which normally determines when inside heating should kick in.

Currently the threshold for landlords to turn on the heat is when outside temperatures drop to 40 degrees. Inside, landlords are allowed to keep the temperature at 55 degrees through the night.

The proposed bill would raise the minimum inside temperature to 62 degrees between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Additionally, the outside temperature trigger of 40 degrees would be removed, thus allowing for a minimum temperature of 62 degrees at all times, regardless of outside temperature.

But for the measure to move forward, the de Blasio administration must first conduct an environmental impact study. The City Council has been waiting for that review since March, 2016, but to date, no start date has been provided.

“We’ve spent nine months trying to get information on when the environmental study will start and that’s unacceptable," Williams said during a Monday rally at City Hall in support of the legislation. "I’m appreciative that the Administration has verbally committed to this study. However, words without action mean nothing."

"Most people don’t realize how cold it has to be outside to legally be able to get heat," he continued." There are a lot of seniors and young people who cannot deal with 55 Degrees. It’s very confusing for tenants who think they’re supposed to receive additional heat.”

Joining Williams at the rally were Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Manhattan State Sen. Bill Perkins, the Flatbush Tenant Coalition, Housing and Family Services of Greater New York, and impacted New Yorkers from Midwood Senior Center.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams also provided vocal support for the legislation in a statement, while noting that new sensor technology could monitor the actions of landlords.

“Adequate heat is a matter of health and safety that poses daily risks to thousands of New York City’s tenants," Adam wrote. "Our City must be committed to doing all it can to ensure apartments are sufficiently warm for our children and families, including studying an increase in minimum temperatures during the heating season as well as exploring innovative sensor technology to monitor the behavior of bad-acting landlords.”

“It’s important that seniors have the right temperature because they are the one’s suffering, and it leads to other kinds of health issues,” said Lenox Hudson, Vice President of the Midwood Senior Center. “No one should have to live like this, and so it is my hope that this bill gets passed as soon as possible.”

“I fear for long-term tenants, who have been here for many years,” said Patricia George, Tenant Leader for Flatbush Tenants Coalition. “There is no reason why we should have to complain about getting adequate heat, it should be our right."

Since Oct. 1, the city has already recorded more than 65,000 heat complaints. Building owners who fail to maintain heat at the currently mandated levels are subject to civil penalties ranging from $250 – $1,000 per day.

Pictured at top: Jumaane Williams speaks at a City Hall rally on Monday. Photo via Kings County Politics.