15 New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Tivoli Towers Tenants Association The Mintz Levin 2008 Pro Bono Report “Gaping holes” where “water spills into the apartments when- ever it rains,” “mold on bathroom ceilings,” and “large cable wires hanging out of their casings in the common hallway over tenants’ doorways.” These were just a few of the things waiting at home for “Adrienne” and other tenants at the Tivoli Towers apartment building in Brooklyn, New York. Standing at a commanding 33 stories, Tivoli Towers was originally constructed in 1974 as part of the Mitchell-Lama program, which provides affordable housing to middle- and low-income families. Not only is Tivoli Towers prominent on the Brooklyn skyline, but it is also significant in the lives of the hundreds of families who call Tivoli Towers home. Sadly, Tivoli Towers’ owner has allowed the building to fall into disrepair in recent years. With much frustration, Adrienne and other members of the Tivoli Towers Tenants Association, comprised of tenants who volunteer their time to communicate with the building’s owner on tenant-related issues, had been repeatedly unsuccessful in achieving any improvements. After months of requests and negotiations with the owner, Adrienne and the Association threw up their hands and decided to seek legal assistance. The Association, however, could not afford to pay for legal help, especially for the difficult potential litigation that lay ahead. In response to the Association’s call for assistance, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest asked Mintz Levin to help. Attorneys Kevin Ainsworth, Sara Crasson, Angela Ottomanelli, and Kevin Norman and project analyst Laura Stoffel stepped up to bring a “Group HP” action in the Brooklyn Housing Court against the owner and managers of Tivoli Towers, citing extremely poor living conditions. The filing of this Group HP action and the negotiations under- taken by the Mintz Levin team resulted in a housing inspection by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. This inspection, in turn, led to the repair of many problems in tenants’ apartments and the building’s common areas. While a few final problems must still be resolved, the many tenants of Tivoli Towers have benefited from the repairs already made, and have also learned how to better take advantage of New York City’s enforcement policies.  “ The tenants of Tivoli Towers are profoundly grateful to you and your firm for representing us. We thank you for coming to the building for seven weeks and taking the time to visit the tenants, interview them, and learn about their problems. Your patience and concern were more than visible as you’re often listening to angry and frustrated tenant complaints. The tenants have never had attorneys address their individual concerns and then actually seen results. Your time and concern for the tenants of Tivoli Towers is greatly appreciated. We would have never been able to afford the great services you offered to us had you not represented us pro bono.” - Adrienne