By Mutiu Olawuyi

Tenants of Tracey Towers in Norwood joined Council Member Eric Dinowitz and other city, state and federal elected officials on Saturday, June 13, 2026, to oppose a proposed 30.59% rent increase over four years at the city-run Mitchell-Lama development.

The rally took place as residents of the two-building complex at 20 and 40 Mosholu Parkway South continue to raise concerns about affordability, building conditions and the long-term stability of middle-income housing in the Bronx.

The proposed rent increase was advanced earlier this year by RY Management and is supported by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, known as HPD. According to the release from Dinowitz’s office, HPD says the development is three years delinquent on its mortgage and is not covering current operating costs.

Tenants and elected officials, however, argue that residents should not be forced to carry the burden of a sudden, steep rent increase, especially at a development originally built in 1972 to provide affordable housing for middle-income New Yorkers.

Unlike rent-stabilized housing, where annual increases are capped through the Rent Guidelines Board process, residents of city-run Mitchell-Lama developments do not receive the same level of rent predictability. That gap has become a central concern for tenants who fear that a 30.59% increase could push longtime residents, seniors and working families into financial hardship.

The dispute also comes as Tracey Towers faces serious capital repair needs. According to the release, both buildings require major work, including elevator repairs, roof replacement, masonry pointing, and repairs related to flooding and leaks in the community room and individual apartments.

Elevators are a major concern for residents. An incident report obtained through the Fire Department of New York reportedly shows 41 elevator breakdowns in the past year, leaving tenants stuck roughly every nine days and requiring FDNY response.

For a high-rise development serving more than 1,000 residents, elevator reliability is not only a convenience issue. It is a safety, accessibility and dignity issue, especially for seniors, people with disabilities, families with children and residents with medical needs.

HPD is allocating $36 million for repairs in four phases, beginning with the elevators. The capital funding is expected to come from the New York City Council and the New York State Assembly.

HPD Commissioner Dina Levy visited Tracey Towers on Tuesday, June 3, where she met with residents and addressed their concerns. According to the release, she maintained support for the rent hike, citing the mortgage delinquency and operating cost shortfalls. She also promised to return when Phase 1 of repairs begins.

The Commissioner reportedly faced about 100 residents, many of whom have already seen rents rise sharply. The release states that residents recently experienced a 22% rent increase over three years, deepening frustration over the newly proposed increase.

The Tracey Towers dispute reflects a broader housing question across the Bronx: how can the city preserve affordable housing while also paying for urgent building repairs and responsible long-term maintenance?

Residents deserve safe elevators, dry apartments, functional roofs and financially stable buildings. But they also deserve a process that does not destabilize households that Mitchell-Lama housing was created to protect.

A fair path forward should include transparent accounting of the development’s finances, a clear repair timeline, resident oversight, stronger protections for vulnerable tenants, and serious exploration of alternatives that reduce the burden on residents. Public funding, management accountability and phased affordability protections should all be part of the conversation.

Tracey Towers tenants are not rejecting the need for repairs. They are asking that repairs not come at the cost of displacement.

As budget pressures, aging infrastructure and housing affordability collide, the city must ensure that middle-income housing remains what it was designed to be: stable, safe and accessible to New Yorkers who built their lives around the promise of affordability.

For Norwood residents, the message from the rally was clear: repair the buildings, protect the tenants and keep Tracey Towers affordable.