The property known as 163 Lander Street under the ownership of AHNA 163 Lander LLC was deemed condemned on Wednesday, July 12 by the City of Newburgh Code Compliance office. However, tenants continue to remain with reported building conditions such as caved in ceilings, water and structural damage and vermin.

Tenants Jillian Gonzales, Crystal Hufford and Ivy Cooper first moved into the building on March 13, 2023 after previously staying at shelters on Bridge and Ann Street. Even back then, conditions of the building were not good, and tenants paid $700 a month in rent despite rooms varying in size.

Cooper shared via an email on July 12 that the Code Compliance Department, the City of Newburgh Chief of Police, the City of Newburgh Fire Department and other city legal representatives were made aware of the building’s condition. “They [city departments] came to the residence on Tuesday, July 11, at 4 pm, to conduct an inspection regarding these concerns and found numerous violations outside of the outlined concerns,” said Cooper in the email. Blame was directed at the tenants and the landlords sought rent after city representatives left on July 11 according to the women.

Several of the women said they were survivors of sexual assault and stated that a man stayed in the building late at night.

“The tenants have endured retaliation and harassment by the AHNA landlords as a result of reporting concerns, including having an associate standing in the hallways, monitoring who is actively inside and who is in the house,” said Cooper in the email.

After the condemned notice on the 12th, code enforcement told the landlord that they would need to find housing for the tenants within a 24 hour period. Several tenants have since been able to find new places, as they paid cash according to Gonzalez but she, Cooper and Hufford still remain.

“We’re today [July 17] waiting to see if the electricity is going to be cut off from the building. We’re stuck here,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzales, Hufford and Cooper identified the landlord as Harrison Grass with partners who went by Nate and Aaron. According to smartbackgroundchecks.com, Grass was reported to be maintaining a residency on Park Avenue in New York. 153 North Miller, 163 Lander Street and 141 Lander were properties associated with Grass upon further review of the background page. Grass did not respond to a request for comment.