WCBS 880 Gets Exclusive Look Into Rockland County Illegal Housing Crackdown
SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Rockland County is cracking down on illegal and unsafe housing.
WCBS 880's Sean Adams went on an exclusive tour with the county's Health Department on one of their inspection runs.
Except for the gaggle of smiling children on the rotting porch, the dilapidated three-story home at 44 Bethune Blvd. in Spring Valley looks abandoned.
Cracking Down On Illegal Housing In Rockland County
"This is an illegal rooming house," said county health inspector Brian Welty, who wrote up more than 20 violations for water damage, exposed wires, no smoke or carbon monoxide detectors and crumbling foundation. "There is absolutely a lot of violations here and there are structural issues, too."
Landlord Mordchai Elkobi showed up for the inspection. He did not comment.
Welty also found overcrowding and locked bedrooms, which Catherine Johnson, who leads the county's new crackdown, called a big concern.
"When we have overcrowding, we don't have smoke detectors there's a fire, we have people responding not knowing how many people are in there," Johnson said. "If first responders had to come here would they think there were going to be seven people in that one small apartment we were in?"
Frustrated with local building inspectors, the health department is using the sanitary code to hold landlords accountable.
"Total violations in June were 1,000," Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert said. "This is a huge problem."
Violators face stiff fines -- $2,000 per violation, per day.
Tenants can make confidential complaints online.
