The buildings have new roofs. Once-crumbling brick steps have been rebuilt. New windows are on the way to replace crumbling casings and sashes. The air-conditioning and heating systems are being rebuilt, and furnaces that weren't working are being replaced.
Every apartment gets a new refrigerator and stove.
None of the tenants had written leases. Some were living in apartments that didn't have heat this winter, but they never complained to the new owners. We're trying to improve them. But it's a small victory in a larger battle to preserve housing that's both affordable and habitable for immigrants and refugees who arrive in a strange land with few means of support. It's not economical for developers to renovate it.