(DNAINFO) Gustavo Solis | January 21, 2016 — More than 30 self-managed low-income co-ops unwittingly landed themselves on Public Advocate Letitia James’ “Worst Landlord” list by reporting their own boards to the city.

“None of these buildings are supposed to be on this list,” said Elsia Vasquez, a housing advocate. “The fact that they are calling 311 on themselves is appalling because at the end of the day these co-ops are supposed to sustain themselves but instead they are giving themselves all of these violations.”

Of the 196 Manhattan buildings features in the 2015 list, 33 of them were Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) co-op program. The city created a program in which residents of these co-ops can take over ownership of distressed properties from their negligent landlords after getting training.

It is one of the city’s only programs that provides low-income New Yorkers a path to home ownership.

Source: Public Advocate Puts 33 Self-Governing Co-ops on Worst Landlord List – Central Harlem – DNAinfo.com New York