For dozens of families in the city of Binghamton, dealing with poor living conditions continues to be an uphill battle.

Properties remain uncared for, as buildings continue to deteriorate.

Now, the owner of some of the buildings is being held responsible.

That man is Isaac Anzaroot of Brooklyn, who was cited on code violations for 12 separate properties in the city. He was arrested Wednesday for failing to appear in court.

“We hope that yesterday’s news really sends a shockwave through the landlord community, that if you’re responsible, you have nothing to worry about. But if you’re going to flout the laws, if you’re not going to show up to your court dates, you will face consequences and they will be swift and they will be severe,” said Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham.

Kraham said cracking down on what he called “slumlords” is one of his top priorities moving forward.

The city will hire a housing prosecutor later this summer to deal with these types of situations. The mayor said the impact of neglected properties reaches beyond a single building.

“When you think about the gravity of code crimes and code issues, it can hurt not just the people that live in the property, but it can hurt entire neighborhoods. That’s certainly the case with this landlord, Mr. Anzaroot, and he right now has had to face the judge and face the justice system for a failure to act on many of these crimes,” Kraham said.

As for other problem landlords, Kraham said this is just the beginning.

“We are committed to prosecuting those who flout city housing law, that put our families in danger, that are eroding neighborhoods. We’re not going to tolerate it,” said Kraham.

This is not the first time Anzaroot has had trouble in Binghamton. Earlier this year, a major property in downtown he owns was condemned by the city.