Slumlords Angels with Dirty Faces

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Date: 1/17/2005 12:27:41 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patricia Lewis/Selina Robinson
212-281-1205/212-281-5453


Slumlords Angels with Dirty Faces

“St. Phillip’s on Convent”
Tenant’s ASSOCIATION
450 West 131 St (corner of Convent Ave)

Manhattanville, Harlem, NY 10027

PRESS RELEASE

January 17, 2005

Angels with Dirty Face
St Philips Episcopal Church has lost control of their affordable housing stock which is home to more than 350 low income senior and disabled residents. Tired of suffering, and short on faith, residents have no choice but to fight.

New York- On Wednesday, January 19th, at 11:00 AM, residents of St Philips on Convent and St Philips on the Park Apartment complexes will hold a rally at the St. Philips Episcopal Church, located at 204 W 134th Street in Harlem

The church was the sponsor of the two housing complexes which are in serious physical disrepair and mismanagement.

HUD provided both developments with lucrative project based Section 8 contracts and is foreclosing on both Buildings due to mortgage non-payment . The buildings house a combined total of over 300 low income families, a large majority of whom are seniors and/or disabled.

In the 1980's, to increase Harlem's housing for low-income persons, the Board members of this church created the St.Philips Housing Development Fund Corporation (H.D.F.C). Under that name, the church acquired (4) four apartment buildings (2 housing seniors citizens, 1 housing seniors and disabled persons.) naming Webb & Brooker, Inc., 2534 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr Boulevard, (212) 926-7100, as the managing agent for all St. Philip HDFC buildings.

For over 10 years, Webb and Brooker, Inc. has failed to make major capital repairs to or pay the mortgage for St. Philip's on Convent, a 104 unit apartment building housing seniors and disabled. HUD has finally lost patience with both St. Phillips HDFC and Webb & Brooker, and a foreclosure auction is scheduled on January 26, 2005.

St. Philip's on the Park by has suffered the same fate of failed regualr maintenance and non-payment of the HUD mortgage currently the building has an emergency heat generator outside the complex provided by the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development because of St. Phillip's HDFC's and Webb & Brooker's failure to repair the heating system.

St. Philips Church emphatically denies owning any building, but records show that they were in fact the initial sponsors of the St. Philip's HDFC. City records also show at least one member of the St. Philip's Church Board also has authorization to sign documents on behalf of St. Phillips HDFC. The Church along with Webb & Brooker are refusing to surrender the defaulted deeds for both properties over to HUD in lieu of foreclosure.

The seniors and disabled tenants of St. Philip's on Convent will travel in the cold weather on a bus down to Supreme Court on Centre Street for the January 26th auction to make their presence felt.

We have invited the elected officials who have shown support including Congressman Charles Rangel, State Senator David Paterson and Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields. Councilmembers Bill Perkins and Robert Jackson to join with the Tenants at the rally at the church which hopefully will shame the owner's into surrendering the properties deeds to HUD and finally put an end to the tenants suffering avoiding the auction.

Contact: Patricia Lewis/Selina Robinson
212-281-1205/212-281-5453