Tenants are demanding action from the New York City Housing Authority over what they say are serious heating issues.
"We haven't had heat for an extended period of time, especially over the holidays," said NYCHA tenant Cheryl Curry. "It was very terrible."
Another NYCHA tenant, Gertrude Gill, has been living in public housing for 40 years and said this is the worst winter she's endured.
"I spent Christmas and New Year's wrapped in a blanket on my couch," she said. "One of the most horrible days."
Monday's rally came days after New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer announced an
audit of NYCHA, saying tenants "were left in the cold, in their own homes, by their own government. It's completely unacceptable…they deserve long term solutions instead of Band-Aid fixes. That's why we're doing another audit. This is about safety -- and equity."
The comptroller's office has received reports from tenants at nearly a dozen NYCHA buildings in the Bronx alone. This will be the office's ninth audit of NYCHA.
"Our staff is working 24/7 to combat this extreme cold weather that is causing heat outages city-wide," NYCHA spokesperson Jasmine Blake told News 12 in a statement. "We must do better to provide residents the safe, warm homes they deserve."