The chief executive of a New York City housing nonprofit was arrested and jailed for failing to complete repairs at a Harlem apartment building owned by the organization.
The Gothamist reports Malcolm Punter, president and CEO of Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, was arrested for contempt on April 14 after a court found his organization did not make court-ordered repairs on a 22-unit building for more than a year. Punter spent the night on Rikers Island before his release the following day.
According to property records, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement took over the building at 306 West 114th Street from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development in 1999.
The arrest was based on a January 2025 lawsuit filed by a tenant who complained of a rodent infestation, mold growing throughout her apartment, and sewage leaking through her sink and toilet. City housing inspectors issued 43 violations for the unit and a judge ordered the owner to correct the various problems.
While it is not uncommon for arrest warrants to be issued for property owners who fail to make repairs, this marked a rare case where an owner is jailed because of the conditions at their property. Even more unusual is the fact Punter runs a city-subsidized nonprofit.
Punter’s lawyer Eric Kahan challenged the actions taken against his client, stating repairs were made and photographic evidence was submitted to the court as confirmation.
“It should not have happened,” Kahan said. “The judge who allowed the arrest made a bad decision.”
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