Haven Plaza Residents & Pols Rally Against Legionella Outbreak

Distressed tenants of Haven Plaza in the East Village rallied on Thursday afternoon July 30 to demand improved conditions after a recent Legionella contamination in the complex. Among their other concerns, residents have been kept from showering or using hot water for over two months.

City Council Member, Harvey Epstein, who represents the district, and State Assemblymember Keith Powers led the event, which saw a diversity of voices demanding transparency from both Wavecrest Management, which runs the complex, and Mayor Zorhan Mamdani’s Department of Health. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal were also present, as were numerous reporters, with the podium festooned with microphones from Telemundo 47, Fox5, ABC7 and PIX11.

“ This is not helpful for residents,” scolded Epstein, who wore a blue blazer over a blue and white dotted collared shirt. “They need clear information about what’s happening, a timeline to get it fixed and a process to make that happen. The tenants here are frustrated, and they’re feeling like their health is at risk.”

"We are asking and sounding the alarm here today that residents want clear answers, timely communication” exhorted—and gesticulated— Powers, who wore a satin purple tie with a light blue dress shirt and blue sports coat. “They want confidence that every step is being taken to keep them safe. And it shouldn’t have to said, but I will say it: you are moving as fast as you can to make everyone in this place feel safe.”

“No New Yorkers should be uncertain of the safety of their tap water,” said Hoylman-Sigal. “For months, no use of showers. For months, uncertainty of their water.”

There have been two confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ Disease at Haven Plaza in the past year and health officials say the cases are not connected to the Upper East Side cluster, which has been linked to seven deaths. Haven Plaza, located on Avenue C between East 12th and East 13th Streets, encompasses five separate buildings and 371 units within the rent stabilized and subsidized complex.

Dana Cruz, president of the Haven Plaza Tenants Association, said the residents have dealt with the contamination since mid-May, and that a remediation plan did not begin until July 28. She said management notified elected officials about the contamination before informing residents.

“Wavecrest and Catholic Homes continue to refuse our requests for both showers, filters, medical monitoring, drinking water,” Cruz said. “We have been forced to buy our own supplies throughout this entire process,” she added.

Haven Plaza, which is owned by Catholic Homes, an affiliate of the Archdiocese of New York, issued joint a statement with Wavecrest Management, which manages the 371-unit housing complex. The statement claims that remediation attempts are underway as of this past week, including a full water treatment and disinfection plan. They are “fully committed to the health and safety of the residents.”

Ayo Harrington of LES! Ready argued that the Department of Health’s notification threshold is too high. Under current DOH practice, residents are only alerted after two confirmed Legionnaires’ cases are linked to a building within a 12-month period.

She said that standard should be lowered to one confirmed case, and also called on the city to bring Legionella testing directly to the complex rather than leaving residents to seek it out on their own, saying several tenants had been turned away by doctors who declined to test them. She additionally questioned whether the building’s legally required inspections had been completed.

“When we asked for rent abatement, we were told, decidedly, no,” she added.

Tenant, Kristin Cara Anuka, took to the mic describing her experience as a caretaker to her disabled older sister and management’s role in amplifying the struggle. Anuka added that she personally has been “very sick,” for months with legionnaires symptoms. “We probably have more cases than [have been] confirmed.”