State Senate hearing in Newburgh looks at housing code enforcement problems

Harsh words and the blame game were heard Thursday in Newburgh at a state Senate hearing on housing code enforcement problems.

News 12 Staff

May 23, 2019, 9:22 PM

Updated 1,891 days ago

Share:

Harsh words and the blame game were heard Thursday in Newburgh at a state Senate hearing on housing code enforcement problems.
Those problems were specifically about Ramapo, Newburgh and Mount Vernon. The hearing comes just three days after two girls nearly drowned in a pool outside a Spring Valley home with numerous housing violations.

State Sen. James Skoufis says he wants to know whether the town of Ramapo is doing enough to prevent similar situations.
Skoufis grilled Ramapo town officials at the legislative hearing after an investigation found Ramapo to be one of the worst in the state for housing code issues, along with Mount Vernon, Newburgh and Albany.

Rockland County officials testified that Ramapo isn't doing enough to fight illegal housing. Former county fire director Gordon Wren blames town officials.

“It makes no sense whatsoever. Why wouldn't the town enforce the codes? Why would they allow buildings to be occupied without COs for years and years? It's politics,” he said.

Ramapo Town Supervisor Michael Specht said the town meets the state's minimum housing standards – and that’s why a state-appointed monitor was allowed to leave her position overseeing the town last year.
Wren said the state hasn’t done its job either.
“I blame the governor of the state of New York because he’s the captain of this ship,” said Wren.

Lawmakers hope to use testimony given at the hearing to determine which municipalities need more state oversight and what laws could be created to crack down on an illegal housing crisis that many say is only getting worse.
City officials, tenant associations and so-called slumlords from Newburgh and Mount Vernon also testified at the hearing Thursday. Many of them gave conflicting statements over various housing issues in their cities. 


More from News 12
1:52
Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

2:04
Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

0:38
Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

0:49
New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

0:49
Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

0:32
Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

0:17
Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

1:40
Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

0:52
Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

0:37
2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

1:30
Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

0:56
News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

1:02
Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

1:37
Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

2:33
Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

0:32
NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

0:40
State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

0:34
Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

0:40
Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

0:34
Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued

Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued