EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Tenants are demanding that their landlord and New York City step up and fix the problems plaguing 315 Amber Street in East New York. They claim the building is essentially a biohazard, making people sick.
“I have mold growing over my bed,” said tenant Ashley Saundars.
Mushrooms sprout out of Saundars’ ceiling. She said her sister, who lives with her, was diagnosed with asthma three weeks ago. She blames it on her building and its backyard septic tank.
“The septic tank at the back, it’s actually seeping into the walls of my building,” said Saundars. “There are pockets of raw sewage in the structure of the building.”
Saundars and her neighbors rallied near City Hall Tuesday evening, demanding help from the city and accountability for their landlord, who they said has neglected the building for years.
“It’s what it looks like when landlords are trying to extract more money from tenants and putting virtually no money into the building,” said Ben Mabie of Tenant Union Flatbush.
“I’ve reached out to HPD, Department of Buildings, Department of Health, environmental department, nothing,” said Saundars.
Saundars’ upstairs neighbor also showed PIX11 News black mold on her bathroom ceiling and sewage leaking into her living room.
According to Housing Preservation and Development, 315 Amber Street has 54 open violations, including ones for visible mold and roof leaks.
In a statement to PIX11 News, HPD wrote:
“All New Yorkers deserve a safe and healthy home, which is why when owners don’t act quick enough to address immediately hazardous issues, we will make emergency repairs ourselves and bill the owner—just as we did at 315 Amber earlier this year.”
Department of Buildings records also show that landlord Frank Sollecito owes the city nearly $14,000 for two violations in 2023 and failure to respond to those summonses.
Sollecito did not want to speak to PIX11 News on camera but told us by phone that he was unaware of the DOB violations and would look into them.
He claims tenants owe $45,000 in unpaid rent, preventing him from making repairs. However, he said a contractor is coming next week to remediate the mushroom growth in Saundars’ apartment and said he would pay for any tenant who wants to move out.