NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Maple Center senior housing at 35 Maple Avenue in New Rochelle has been without heat and running water since the early hours of Monday morning after a water pipe inside the building ruptured filling the basement with water.
The boiler room was flooded, knocking out heat and hot water. Cold running water was just restored.
The water filled the elevator shafts and spilled over into the lobby of the 109-unit apartment building which houses an estimated 150 tenants.
In 2011, the New Rochelle City Council approved a deal with Mountco Construction and Development Corp. to convert the property from a nonprofit organization, not on the tax rolls, to Section 8 housing with a payment in lieu of taxes of $60,000 per year, with a 2.5 percent annual increase. The City received a one-time fee of $150,000.
At the time, Mountco gave many assurances that the building would be improved and tenants would not see their rents raised. This has not turned out to be the case, leaving many residents angry and disillusioned.
The conversion is a part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing Assistance Payment Program
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