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Tenant leader: 370-unit complex told residents not to shower during Legionnaires response
Summary
Dana Cruz, tenant president at the affected complex, said residents of 370 units were told not to shower since May, that about 25% of residents are seniors or immunocompromised, and that building owners (she said the Archdiocese/Catholic Charities Housing Initiative) have provided minimal assistance.
Dana Cruz, tenant president at the affected complex, told Council members that management'owned by the Archdiocese through the Catholic Charities Housing Initiative'has done "the bare minimum" after health officials barred residents from showering since May.
"We have 370 units in our complex. No one's allowed to shower, and this has been going on since May," Cruz said. She told the Council that roughly a quarter of the building's residents are immunocompromised or seniors and that asking them to carry buckets of water in summer is impractical and harmful.
Cruz said management's response was limited to complying with DOH orders rather than providing broader support; she urged greater oversight and relief for vulnerable residents while remediation is underway. Council members said they would press for clearer tenant notifications and consider remedies to ensure affected households receive assistance.
The tenant testimony was cited by council leaders as a key example of how gaps in notice and remediation produce real hardships for vulnerable New Yorkers.
