When construction work on Phoenicia Herbert’s kitchen and bathroom was under way, she was expecting some kind of inconvenience. She just didn’t think it would turn out the way it did.

It was at 3425 Gates Pl. in Norwood in 2016 where Herbert was forced to share a bathroom and kitchen with other tenants while work inside the apartments, which also included the installation of new windows and a front door, was under way. “They allowed one apartment that was already empty to be used per floor.” She even had to wait over half a day for a bathroom, causing her to be late for work.

According to Herbert, the tenants were promised new appliances as well, but never received them. “We were supposed to get new fridges and stoves, that were supposed to be included with getting bathroom and kitchen and that never happened. They’re adding the price of the new stove and new fridge in order to get this MCI.” said Herbert, who personally received a new stove.

The Morgan Group, which manages the six-story property, passed the $1.9 million construction costs onto tenants, part of the controversial Major Capital Improvement program landlords can take advantage of. The plan was approved by the state Department of Housing and Community Renewal, which reviews MCI proposals. There were no objections from tenants, according to a lawyer representing Morgan Group.

Herbert is now part of a group of tenants who have gone on a so-called MCI strike, refusing to pay the extra $81.33 per room payment that kicked in last September following lease renewals. And even as work is completed, Olivia Guzman, another tenant of the building who was taken to housing court for not paying the MCI fees, feels building conditions still remain unsuitable even after the MCI was issued. Guzman does not agree with the MCI program. “We didn’t ask for them,” she said.

Tenant advocates with the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition and Community Action for Safe Apartments have now been working with tenants as their cases make their way to housing court. It’s at the Grand Concourse courthouse where they staged a protest on March 29 calling attention to the issue.

MCIs usually involve a large renovation project for a building, which can include the installation of a brand new boiler, appliances for each apartment, or roof replacement. A fee is tacked onto a tenant’s monthly rent, putting greater financial pressure on renters, particularly those on fixed incomes.

Luise A. Barrack, a lawyer representing the Morgan Group, said her client is willing to meet with tenants. “This is not an owner that is not concerned about their tenants. They make improvements to upgrade their buildings, and they want to hear from their tenants,” Barrack said.

As for whether tenants were made aware they would have to share a bathroom and kitchen during the work, Barrack, who has been representing the Morgan Group for the last six months, said crews performing the work were expected to tell tenants.

Overall, Herbert finds the MCI process unpromising, “I am against the MCI because it’s the assumption that building and the apartments were renovated in an appropriate way,” she said. “We’re really hoping that these increases get reversed.”