Central Brooklyn, Bronx notorious for affected residents
Newly acquired data from a housing data website indicates the Brownsville section has the highest adult asthma rates in New York City.
This report by housing-data website Localize.city comes on the heels of the Asthma Free Housing Act, a new law which took effect on January 19, and aims to protect tenants from asthma and allergen triggers like mold, roaches, mice, and rats.
The Asthma Free Housing Act requires landlords of non-public buildings with three or more units to perform yearly inspections of every apartment, and mandates remediation any underlying conditions that may attract mold or pests within 24 hours of discovery.
However, many have questioned how well landlords will comply with the new law. Localize.city released the report in order to help renters make decisions in their own best interest when moving, or in responding to conditions in their apartments that could cause asthma.
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention from 2015-2016 reveal a strong correlation between high rates of violations and high rates of asthma.
The report found that low-income neighborhoods, particularly in Brooklyn and the Bronx, were disproportionately affected by high rates of asthma, as well as housing violations that are asthma triggers.
