New York Sues To End ‘Horrific’ Crisis In Hudson Valley

New York State just dropped a massive lawsuit to end the 'inhumane' conditions some Hudson Valley families have endured for years."

New York Attorney General Letitia James took legal action this week to force repairs at a notoriously neglected apartment complex in the heart of Orange County after years of unsafe, unsanitary, and even dangerous conditions endured by tenants.

AG James Sues To End ‘Horrific’ Conditions At Newburgh Apartment Complex

James was in Newburgh on Monday to announce she has filed a lawsuit against the owners and managers of the Kenney Apartments, an affordable housing development on Newburgh’s Walsh Road home to more than 100 low-income families and seniors.

The lawsuit alleges that residents have been subjected to a long list of code violations, including a persistent lack of consistent heat and hot water, mold and mildew infestations, rodent problems, sewage leaks, structural dangers such as unstable stairs and holes in floors, and more than 160 other building code violations.

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“It is outrageous that the Kenney residents have suffered in dangerous and inhumane conditions while their landlords ignored their calls for help,” James stated. “No one should be forced to endure a New York winter without heat or hot water. I am taking the owners of these apartments to court to get justice for the New Yorkers who have been cruelly neglected, and make sure they have a safe, clean, and warm place to live.”

State law requires landlords to provide heat and hot water from October through May. Still, Kenney tenants have reportedly lacked reliable heat and hot water since 2023, with a complete shutoff lasting from October 2025 through January 2026.

Residents painted a distressing picture.

Many reported years of leaking ceilings, water and sewage intrusion into living spaces, peeling paint, exposed wiring, broken appliances, and inadequate structural repairs, including a refrigerator that couldn’t be replaced for a diabetic tenant who needed it for life-saving insulin storage.

Attorney General James says the lawsuit seeks court orders requiring the owners to fix all outstanding violations within 30 days, restore safe, livable conditions, and ensure consistent heat and hot water.

She is also asking the court to require expert assessments and remediation plans for heating systems and mold problems, provide temporary housing for tenants whose units need major work, and impose restitution and penalties on the property’s owners if they fail to comply.

The complaint also asks the court to bar the owners from retaliating against tenants who complained about conditions or withheld rent due to uninhabitable living spaces, and to appoint an independent monitor to oversee compliance with the court’s orders.

The property owners haven't commented on the lawsuit.