CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN APPLAUDS NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES LAWSUIT SECURING CRITICAL REPAIRS TO KENNEY APARTMENTS IN NEWBURGH AND $400,000 FOR TENANTS

Congressman Pat Ryan Applauds New York AG Letitia James Lawsuit Securing Critical Repairs to Kenney Apartments in Newburgh and $400,000 for Tenants

NEWBURGH, NY - Today, Congressman Pat Ryan and New York Attorney General Letitia James are announcing a major win for tenants of the Kenney apartments in Newburgh. After Ryan and Newburgh officials brought the dangerous living conditions to AG James' attention, she sued the owners of the building - securing a $400,000 refund for impacted residents and an agreement from the owners of the complex to make all necessary repairs.

For years, Kenney residents have endured dangerous conditions, including a consistent lack of heat and hot water through cold winters, pest infestations, broken windows and doors, mold, water and sewage leaks into their homes, and other hazards.

As a result of a settlement with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the owners of the apartment complex will refund $400,000 in rent payments to tenants, make all repairs necessary to fix every outstanding building code violation, and make regular reports to OAG of all tenant complaints, repairs made, and plans to fix any new violations.

"When AG James and I visited the Kenney apartments, we saw the absolutely unacceptable conditions - raw sewage seeping from toilets, chronic roof leakage, no heat, and mouse infestations - firsthand. These hardworking residents deserve better than negligent landlords who only care about profits and have utterly failed to live up to their responsibilities," said Congressman Pat Ryan. "I'm incredibly grateful to AG James for taking on this case, and for this important victory for the residents. I also want to thank Newburgh city leaders who brought this to our attention and have relentlessly advocated for a resolution here. We cannot and will not allow this to continue - and I won't stop fighting on behalf of our community until every resident's needs are met and those responsible are held accountable."

"The owners of The Kenney Apartments neglected their tenants for years, forcing vulnerable New Yorkers to endure cold winters without heat and other horrendous conditions," said Attorney General James. "While there is still work to be done to ensure these tenants have a clean and safe place to live, my office is determined to hold these owners accountable. This case should be a warning to landlords throughout our state: if you ignore your tenants' complaints and fail to address code violations, my office will make you pay for your negligence."

"For too long, the residents of the Kenney Apartments have lived in unacceptable conditions," said Senator Robert Rolison. "I'm pleased this settlement provides financial relief for tenants while ensuring the long-overdue repairs are finally made."

"Thank you to the Attorney General for resolving the horrific situation at Kenney Apartments," said Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson. "While no amount of money can fully address the harm to residents, this settlement offers much-needed relief to tenants and repairs to the complex. I commend the brave tenants who came forward, and local officials who took up their cause. This case should serve as a wake-up call for the Newburgh Codes Department to quickly and forcefully enforce the building code. No tenant should endure unsafe and unlivable conditions."

"The residents who endured dangerous, substandard, and irresponsible conditions at the hands of the owners of the Kenney and Bourne apartments are finally getting the justice they deserve," said Orange County Legislator Genesis Ramos. "Not only will repairs move forward, but these tenants will be reimbursed for rent they should never have had to pay while living in these conditions. Let this be a message to any landlord in the City of Newburgh who thinks they can get away with treating our community members this way: you will face consequences. We will not allow anyone to normalize substandard living conditions for our residents. I thank the Attorney General for continuing to fight for New Yorkers, and for bringing accountability to bad actors."

"For years, Kenney residents were ignored. Today, they've achieved something many haven't and it's all due to their organizing and steadfast efforts," said Newburgh City Councilmember Tamika Stewart. "I thank Attorney General James for taking action to hold these landlords accountable and ensure The Kenney's residents are made whole."

"This settlement represents more than a legal victory-it is a victory for the residents who endured unacceptable living conditions for far too long," said Newburgh City Councilmember Robert D. McLymore. "Every family deserves a safe, clean, and dignified place to call home. I want to thank Attorney General Letitia James and her office for taking decisive action to hold these property owners accountable and for standing with the people of Newburgh. This outcome sends a clear message that neglecting tenants and violating basic housing standards will not be tolerated. I remain committed to working alongside our local, state, and community partners to ensure every resident in the City of Newburgh has access to safe and habitable housing. Our work is not finished, but today is a significant step forward for our community."

Attorney General James sued the owners and managers of the Kenney apartment complex in February, 2026 for violating state laws by failing to properly maintain the buildings and apartments for years. The complex's buildings have accumulated dozens of code violations, and residents have suffered in dangerous conditions that put their health and safety at risk. A lack of consistent heat and hot water forced tenants to endure cold winters by heating their homes with space heaters, which caused their electricity bills to skyrocket. Residents of the Kenney apartments also reported mold and mildew that have caused illnesses, sewage leaking into their homes, and broken appliances that haven't been fixed in years. One resident, who suffers from diabetes and needed a working refrigerator for her insulin, reported that her repeated calls to fix her broken refrigerator were ignored by her landlord.

Under a settlement with OAG, the owners and managers of the Kenney apartments must take immediate action to repair the complex's buildings and fix all outstanding code violations to ensure tenants have safe and habitable apartments. The owners must also pay $409,697 back to tenants as a rent abatement for the months they lived in unsafe conditions. If the owners violate the settlement, they will be liable for a $100,000 penalty. To ensure the owners comply, the settlement requires them to make monthly reports to OAG documenting their progress and any new issues that arise. These reports must include details of all tenant complaints and actions taken to investigate them, all repairs done to correct code violations, any ongoing repairs, and any new code violations, along with a plan to address them.

Lowering costs, specifically when it comes to the price of housing, is a top priority for Congressman Ryan. Since 2020, single-family home prices in NY-18 have risen by 47.1%. Rent has increased by 15% in each of the three counties Ryan represents. In 2024, Ryan also called for an FTC investigation into price gouging by Wall Street private equity firms driving up housing costs. Part of Congressman Ryan's first legislation this Congress was his Housing Affordability Agenda, an all-of-the-above approach to address the housing crisis and lower housing costs for Hudson Valley families:

• The Working Families Housing Tax Credit Act incentivizes developers to build more equitable housing by authorizing below market rate loans and creating a new tax credit for developers building affordable housing utilizing union labor.
• The PRO Housing Act provides funding for municipalities to convert or rehab existing housing, commercial spaces, and industrial centers in addition to "from scratch" developments. There will also be an emphasis placed on building near transit centers, and the establishment of a pilot program for the General Services Administration (GSA) to transfer unused federal land for development; thus eliminating government waste and increasing housing options.
• The Deliver Housing Now Act cuts through the bureaucratic red tape to allow municipalities to use federal dollars according to local priorities. If passed it would allow municipalities to utilize federal dollars in whichever category of housing is most impactful to the people they serve.
• The Mortgage Rate Reduction Act simplifies the federal loan assumption process, so that more than 11.3 million houses financed at lower interest rates through VA, USDA, or FHA loans are available to home-buyers.

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