No gas, no turkey: Mott Haven families spend Thanksgiving without service
It’s been more than a month since a dramatic chimney collapse forced NYCHA to shut off gas service across several buildings.
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While many New Yorkers sat down to turkey dinners Thursday night, families at the Mitchel Houses in Mott Haven marked Thanksgiving without the option to cook a traditional meal.
It’s been more than a month since a dramatic chimney collapse forced NYCHA to shut off gas service across several buildings.
NYCHA distributed hot plates to help residents get by, but some neighbors say that hasn’t solved the problem. Merlyn Olivo told News 12 her burner hasn’t worked for weeks, leaving her unable to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey.
"It's very sad and frustrating," Olivo said. "Usually I have a turkey, ribs, rice; I can't do nothing like that."
Instead, she put together a scaled-down meal — chopping onions, squeezing lemon and relying on simple ingredients — doing what she could without a functional stove.
Despite the setback, Olivo says she’s grateful to spend the day with her children, safe and healthy. Still, many residents expressed frustration with the extended outage and say they want clearer answers about when gas service will be restored.
NYCHA has not provided a firm timeline but says crews are continuing to assess the damage and work toward repairs to "safely restore services as quickly as possible."
