Some Bronx seniors say hazardous conditions inside the Mott Haven Melrose Senior Center have forced them to do activities on the sidewalk since June.
They are frustrated and say they should be able to fully enjoy their senior center.
“We started having problems with the lunchroom,” one senior who goes to the center says. “And the air conditioner and the roofing and all the leaks.”
Councilmember Rafael Salamanca and Rep. Ritchie Torres were at the scene of the facility to call on the New York City Housing Authority to fix the necessary repairs so elderly Bronx residents can have access to their senior center and its services.
Salamanca says NYCHA is dragging its feet and he secured the $3 million for housing repairs in 2017, but no progress has been made.
“That $3 million is sitting on NYCHA’s desk,” Salamanca says. “When I asked NYCHA to provide me with an update when the work will be done, I’ve been told the timeline is that the work at Melrose Houses will be completed in 2024.”
Torres say the senior center can no longer function as a cooling center on hot dates and seniors have been increasingly “displaced by neglect.”
The center serves around 200 residents a day.
Those seniors will be at another location for the next few days.
The director of the facility tells News 12 they are relocating because the rain expected Wednesday could cause the center’s roof to collapse.
News 12 reached out to NYCHA and is awaiting a response.