As a housing justice organization, we strive to center tenants and their needs. Our impact report highlights their stories - we’ve included Sharon’s below.
Sharon is a senior citizen living on a fixed income in a rent-stabilized apartment in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood in the Bronx. Her building is owned by the Edelstein family, notorious slumlords with a history of displacing tenants from rent stabilized units across their portfolio of almost 30 buildings. Sharon had been withholding rent due to the landlord’s failure to make repairs, and in the fall 2021 was facing eviction for nonpayment.
Among other issues, Sharon experienced erratic heating outages that made it very difficult to live in the apartment. Over the past 3 years, 137 heat complaints had been made to 311 by residents of the building, making it the #1 complaint for the building. Sharon experienced heating outages that would mysteriously resolve for a day or two after she called 311, and then resume after HPD had come to inspect the apartment.
Knowing they were likely to be in litigation over the nonpayment case, Sharon and her attorney reached out to Heat Seek in November 2021 to see if they could obtain a Heat Seek sensor. Although Sharon had had little luck with 311, she wanted strong evidence of the heating issue in her apartment.
Heat Seek helped her install a sensor, and throughout the winter it captured approximately 100 hours of violations in her apartment. Her nonpayment case also began working its way through court after the pandemic eviction moratorium ended, and a trial was scheduled for June 2022. Heat Seek prepared to provide testimony about her temperature data in court.
On the appointed date, and after hours of negotiation between attorneys, both parties agreed to settle the case and avoid a trial. Sharon received a rent abatement of over $2600 and her nonpayment case is now closed. Sharon’s attorney confirmed that Heat Seek data played a critical role in the positive outcome, noting that the judge referred to paperwork showing the lack of heat when encouraging both parties to negotiate a settlement. The settlement allows Sharon to remain in her apartment, and her landlord is on notice that future heating outages will not be tolerated.
You can find the full report, including another case study, here.