Mitchel Houses tenants refuse to return home one week after collapse
“We’re scared to come back. My kids cry because they don’t feel safe here,” said tenant Merlyn Olivo.
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A week after a chimney collapse forced dozens from their apartments, some tenants at the Mitchel Houses in Mott Haven are refusing to return—saying the building still doesn’t feel safe.
Residents along the F and G lines say they’re being told to come back, even as fears linger from the partial collapse.
“We’re scared to come back. My kids cry because they don’t feel safe here,” said tenant Merlyn Olivo, who says her concerns have gone unheard by management. “They just don’t care. We need help.”
NYCHA officials insist engineers have deemed the building structurally sound. The agency says hot water was restored on Oct. 6 and that all apartments have been cleared of asbestos. But gas service remains shut off indefinitely, forcing many to rely on portable hot plates for meals.
“It’s hard,” said resident Amelio, who returned last week. “How are you supposed to cook enough on a hot plate for a family?”
Tenants who remain at the Garden Inn on Eastchester Road have been told they’ll soon have to cover their own hotel costs—estimated at over $1,700 a week. NYCHA says residents can apply for apartment transfers, though availability is limited.
Olivo says that’s not good enough. “This isn’t our fault,” she said.
