Tenants of 1114 Ward Avenue have been living without gas for six (6) months and are fed up! Alma Realities and their head officer, Efstathios “Steve” Valiotis, who was listed 3rd place on the top 100 worst landlords in 2016 and #9 worst evictors during the pandemic, have not communicated why the gas was shut off or when the service will be restored.
Despite the high volume of 311 complaints, that tenants have filed in regards to the gas; the only temporary solution provided to the residents is an electric hot plate. Tenants and their families are left to make ends meet with these electric hot plates that are replaced frequently, raise the possibility of a fire and have drastically increased electric bills. Especially as winter and the holidays draw near, tenants find it intolerable to go without an essential utility like gas. In response, tenants are organizing their collective power and declaring “No gas, no rent.”
On November 9, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., tenants will organize a speak out in front of 1114 Ward Avenue. Residents will vocalize their frustrations around the deterioration of their building. At 2:30 p.m. tenants will march around the neighborhood to demonstrate unity and garner solidarity from the community around the housing struggles in the Bronx.
The absence of gas is one of the many dangerous liabilities in the building, caused by the landlord’s negligence, others include mold, leaks, damaged windows/doors, collapsing ceilings, pest infestations, and more.
The violations found at 1114 Ward Avenue highlight the systemic failure of city agencies such as Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), whose housing violations in NYC rose 24% in 2024. These living conditions also reveal the disparity between working class new yorkers, who pay roughly half or more of their paychecks for rent, and the landlords, who treat housing as a commodity rather than a basic human need.
As the cost of living rises and worker wages remain stagnant, the housing crisis in New York City becomes more and more evident. The struggle for affordable housing impacts various social issues and is interconnected with public health, safety, family, worker, migrant, and homelessness.
The tenants of 1114 Ward Avenue are determined to struggle for not only their immediate repairs, but also fundamental changes in the standard of living for all. Housing is a human right!
