998 Blake Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208

The two-story, 20-unit lodging home at 998 Blake Avenue, built in 1905 and currently owned by Shimmie Horn, has experienced persistent heat and hot water issues over the past two years, with an alarming pattern of emergency complaints continuing into 2025, including multiple incidents in January and February 2025. The building has been subject to several significant inspections and violations, particularly regarding safety systems and maintenance.

In December 2024, violations were issued for inadequate hot water supply in apartment 209, and earlier inspections revealed issues with illegal locks at the building entrance. A concerning number of emergency violations have been documented, including obstructed sprinkler heads, non-self-closing exit doors, and various maintenance issues with the elevator system. The property has undergone regular semi-annual inspections as a homeless shelter, with the most recent inspections in 2024-2025 resulting in multiple Oath violations.

Among the critical safety concerns documented are non-operational emergency lights, compromised fire safety systems, and maintenance issues with the gas water heaters and commercial cooking equipment. While the building has maintained a bedbug-free status in recent reports (2021-2024), there have been recurring rodent activity concerns as evidenced by multiple inspections in 2023 and 2024, with the most recent inspections in April 2025 noting rat activity. The property has consistently failed to provide adequate heat and hot water service, as evidenced by numerous HPD complaints and violations, suggesting ongoing challenges with building systems maintenance and resident comfort.