North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco says the township is “seeing real progress” with heat and hot water being restored at Westview Towers after weeks of ongoing issues.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We made it clear from the start that the situation at Westview Towers was unacceptable and we took action to fix it. We are now seeing real progress, but the job is not done until every resident has consistent, reliable heat and hot water,” Sacco said in a statement.
“North Bergen remains committed to protecting tenants and ensuring all residents receive the safe, consistent living conditions they deserve.”
Township officials observed that the vast majority of units are now meeting the required minimum hot water temperature standard of 110 degrees.
A small number of remaining issues have been identified and are currently in the process of being corrected, and township inspectors will continue to press building ownership to complete all repairs as soon as possible.
The improvements follow actions by the township including daily inspections, multiple fines totaling thousands of dollars, and continued pressure on the property owner to address ongoing violations and restore proper conditions for residents over the past three weeks or so.
Further, North Bergen inspectors will continue to closely monitor conditions and ensure that the remaining issues are resolved quickly and completely.
Any residents who are still experiencing problems are strongly encouraged to contact the Mayor’s Office directly so that any outstanding issues can be addressed without delay at (201) 392-2005.
Assemblyman Larry Wainstein (D-33), a possible mayoral candidate in 2027 who lost to Sacco 2015, 2019, and 2023, first made mention of the situation on Saturday, April 25th via an Instagram reel.
“The residents of West View Towers had notified me that they had no hot water for three months, even after the Sacco Administration was notified. Elderly residents shouldn’t have to carry hot water from their stove top to the bath tub,” he said at the time.
“They are at risk for severe burns and other injuries. The local Administration should spend less time worrying about politics and much more time serving the people of North Bergen.”
This HUD housing. There is no way maintenance could have possibly be that much neglected. Apparent fraud. From hiring to auditing. Fire them all.