Dirty New Jersey Apartment Complex Passed HUD Inspection, Senators Say

NEWARK, NJ — How can an apartment complex allegedly plagued by rats, cockroaches, urine, human feces, drug dealers and mold pass a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) inspection?

That’s what a pair of New Jersey state senators are asking about the Garden Spires housing complex in Newark, which Mayor Ras Baraka recently called a “stain on the city.”

• See related article: Peek Inside This ‘Uninhabitable’ N.J. Apartment Complex

Here’s the problem, according to Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) and Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex). Even though its residents are “living alongside hordes of rats and cockroaches,” the complex has “unconscionably” passed a HUD inspection.

“Our state inspectors at the Department of Community Affairs have issued more than 2,300 violations for this property,” Beck said. “There were more than 500 fire safety violations noted by DCA; that alone should result in a failing HUD score. In the HUD inspection, the actual units in Garden Spires failed, but the exterior passed. Resulting in a REAC (Real Estate Assessment Center) score of 66, which means the building passes.”

A spokesperson for the HUD provided Patch the following statement on Friday about the Garden Spires complex:

“Physical inspections are only one aspect of HUD’s evaluation and review of Garden Spires; they are not the only tool in HUD’s enforcement toolbox. While the property scored 66 out of 100 possible points on the REAC physical inspection, the results for the individual units and common areas are unacceptable and represent a serious risk to the health and safety of the tenants. Therefore, HUD has issued a Notice of Default (NOD) demanding corrective action based upon the poor physical condition of Garden Spires. HUD is holding Garden Spires ownership accountable for their serious deficiencies and has referred them to the Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC) for an analysis of possible unauthorized distribution of project funds.”

In July, officials with the City of Newark announced that they were filing a lawsuit against the owners of the complex, as well as the HUD, citing “uninhabitable conditions” at the two residential towers that make up the complex.

• Read Garden Spires' full statement about the lawsuit here

According to the HUD spokesperson, Patton met with Baraka shortly after the learning about the lawsuit.

"They pledged their mutual commitment to improving the conditions of distressed multifamily buildings and the lawsuit against HUD was dropped," the spokesperson told Patch.

SAFE SANITARY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING BILL

Several months ago, Beck and Rice introduced the “Safe Sanitary Subsidized Housing Bill of Rights” (S-3270) a bipartisan effort which they say will hold negligent landlords accountable and ensure they don’t receive government payments if they fail inspections.

“No family or child should be forced to live in squalor as a result of landlord negligence,” Beck said. “Our legislation targets the playbook that bad landlords have used to avoid accountability and responsibility for too long.”

According to Beck, the Safe Sanitary Subsidized Rental Housing Bill of Rights would restructure the government’s response to empower the Department of Community Affairs and local Housing Authorities (and HUD is encouraged) to withhold their portion of rental subsidy when there are significant safety and sanitary violations such as infestations of rats, cockroaches, or a lack of heat or hot water.

The legislation would also require phone numbers, email addresses, and street addresses for the owner of the building.

According to Beck, local and state enforcement officials have a difficult time locating the actual owner because most are organized as limited liability corporations (LLCs) and only provide a business name and PO Box.

Rice said that he and Beck have also met with numerous stakeholders, including HUD Region II Administrator Lynne Patton, in a push to ensure better oversight for subsidized housing.

“This has been a bipartisan and collaborative effort at all levels of government, but there is still more work to be done,” Rice added.

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Photo: City of Newark Press Office, Flickr

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