Exclusive: Bitter cold penetrates NYCHA homes, residents turn to News 12 for help
Tenants are struggling to stay warm as well and are worried about what they will do for the remainder of the winter.
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New Yorkers are bundling up to fight back against the bitter cold weather, but those at a New York City Housing Authority building on Teller Avenue say they’ve been forced to bundle up in their own homes.
Ramon Garcia, one of a handful of tenants at 1105 Teller Ave., says he and others have filed complaints about the lack of heat. News 12 joined Garcia in his home, where the temperature felt all too similar to the weather outside.
Garcia lives with his 82-year-old mother and says cracks in their home’s windows are causing a draft and making it even colder in their home.
“I have to sleep with a heater on, layers of clothes on, because it’s so cold in this apartment,” said Garcia. “If it’s 20 degrees outside, it’s 15 degrees in here.”
Other tenants are struggling to stay warm as well and are worried about what they will do for the remainder of the winter.
“I just hope they get to the bottom of this, because we shouldn't have to get the bottom of it, we shouldn't have to go through this cold, it's ridiculous,” said tenant Jackie Alequin.
News 12 received the following statement from NYCHA regarding Garcia’s apartment’s current state:
"NYCHA heating staff visited this apartment and ensured that all heating equipment is functioning appropriately. We are working with the resident to correct an issue with draft affecting the temperature of the unit and will do so until it is resolved. Residents in need of assistance are encouraged to call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771."
