Howard Moi is one of the tenants at the Woodside Houses in Queens who say they have been dealing with limited heat and hot water for around a year.
“This weekend, there wasn’t any heat to my building,” Moi said.
Since August of last year — after flooding from Hurricane Ida damaged the heating plant on the grounds — tenants say they have had heat issues.
Even with temporary mobile boilers stationed outside buildings, many say apartments still lack adequate services.
“It’s been terrible because it’s so cold inside the apartments. They’re colder than outside,” Celsa Ruiz, who has lived at the complex since 1981, said.
Several elected officials joined tenants Tuesday to voice their concerns over an issue they say they have raised to NYCHA management many times and have been told repairs should have been completed in April.
“We are here yet again to make sure the biggest slumlord in New York City provides heat and hot water. If it was any other landlord, they would have had too many fines to even be considered a landlord anymore,” Councilwoman Julie Won said.
In a statement, NYCHA said they has spent more than $1.4 million to repair the heat and hot water at the Woodside Houses.
But residents are not satisfied.
“We buy extra blankets, buy portable heaters from Walmart,” Moi said.