Bronx tenant using oven to heat his apartment after no heat or hot water for 2 weeks

Other tenants are also facing the same issues with heat and hot water – including a pastor who says that the church on the first floor of the building is suffering from it.

Valerie Ryan and Adolfo Carrion

Feb 1, 2024, 10:30 PM

Updated 264 days ago

Share:

A Bronx tenant says his apartment’s oven is the lone source of heat in his home, as he struggles with no hot water or heat for two weeks.
Peter Garcia boils water and turns on his over twice a day to keep him and his family warm. When it’s not the stove and oven, Garcia relies on space heaters.
Other tenants are also facing the same issues with heat and hot water – including a pastor who says that the church on the first floor of the building also doesn't have heat or hot water. 
“From the 18th of January we haven’t been able to have Sunday school because it’s too cold for the kids,” said Paster Mary Corbett.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development says that three complaints were made for no heat or hot water in January. HPD shows those issues were corrected, but tenants feel their concerns are not being heard. 
“Sometimes they don’t even answer, sometimes it’ll be a couple of days before they even answer,” said Garcia. “Then they’ll answer and say ‘Oh, we sent a plumber’ but the plumber never came.”
The management of the building has declined to comment.