More than 50 Mesa Verde tenants rallied to condemn unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions, questioning why tax dollars are instead going to fund war and attack marginalized communities. Photo: Craig Birchfield.

On 8 November, 2025, dozens of tenants gathered in front of La Mesa Verde housing complex in Jackson Heights, Queens. In La Mesa Verde alone, 859 violations have been filed against the owner, A&E Real Estate – one of New York City’s largest landlords. Across Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, there are 131 active lawsuits against the company. At La Mesa Verde, nearly 100 households have joined a lawsuit against A&E.

Tenants, many of whom have lived there for decades, spoke of a wide range of housing and safety violations. Some have suffered from broken hips and arms as a result of deteriorating and structurally unsafe stairs and floorboards while others have landed in the emergency room after ceilings collapsed on top of them. Parents complain of their children developing chronic health issues due to mold and lead paint exposure. Because of persistent elevator issues, elderly and disabled tenants are either trapped in their apartments or forced to risk injury by hauling laundry and groceries up six flights of deteriorating stairs.

The elevators, neither of which have worked since March, have been in and out of disrepair for years. Tenant leader José Luiz Rico, who has lived at La Mesa Verde for over 20 years, spoke about his neighbor who died as a result of the strain this has caused: “Years ago, a neighbour died of heart problems because the elevator was again not working. He had heart issues and he died in the doorway of the laundry room from a heart attack after hauling his laundry from the 6th floor. I am........

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