Following the discovery of a string of sanitation and safety violations in a multifamily Chinatown apartment, its residents have vacated the building indefinitely.
Located on 15 Beach St. in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, the Chinagate Apartments are the latest in a series of Chinatown apartment inspections that have led to the discovery of conditions deemed too unhealthy for habitation by the city.
Boston’s Inspectional Services Department raided the apartment building on Feb. 7 and found “dozens of violations, including broken lights, faulty hot-water heaters, ceiling leaks, broken bathroom fixtures and malfunctioning windows,” according to department records released to the Boston Herald.
The Chinagate apartment continues to be listed as an option for Section 8 housing tenants on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s affordable housing website as of press time.
“The owner of 15 Beach St. has a multifamily contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development,” said Boston Housing Authority Communications Director Lydia Agro.
The owner, Kathleen Lau Realty, has been unavailable for comment.
Although he said the group does manage the building, Kenneth Lau of Lau Reality would not speak further about the status of the building, and additional calls went unanswered.
The State Sanitary Code specifies what conditions must exist for a habitable residence.
“In general, ‘habitable’ means a place that is comfortable and clean enough for a person to live safely,” according to the code.
The code states “if a landlord does not respond to a tenant’s complaints about a sanitary code violation, the tenant may request that a code enforcement officer or the local board of health inspect the apartment” and the landlord can be brought to court or any existing rental agreement can be cancelled.
The Chinese Progressive Association, a “community organization which works for full equality and empowerment of the Chinese community in the Greater Boston area,” is reportedly helping the 15 Beach St. residents find new housing, according to the Herald. However, multiple calls to the group went unanswered.
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