Power outages at Morris Houses left hundreds without AC or elevators

According to Con Edison, two New York City Housing Authority buildings in Monroe Houses are out of service due to a manhole fire that occurred overnight.

News 12 Staff

Jul 11, 2023, 9:14 PM

Updated 381 days ago

Share:

UPDATE: Power has been restored at the Morris Houses. See original story below.
ORIGINAL TEXT: Residents at the Morris Houses are currently facing a power outage, with hundreds now unable to use air conditioning or elevators in the building as temperatures are hovering around 90 degrees.  
Many residents who spoke to News 12 say they’ve been with no power since late last night, and that some are unable to get to their apartments because of the elevator outage, while others can’t leave. 
According to Con Edison, two New York City Housing Authority buildings in Monroe Houses are out of service due to a manhole fire that occurred overnight. Temporary lines are being ran to those structures. 
Some residents complained that they were even unable to flush their toilet or use their running water, adding that residents on oxygen needed to be removed from the building. 
One woman told News 12 that she has been a Monroe Houses resident for almost 50 years and says that she recently underwent cancer surgery and was forced to spend the night in a parked car.  
News 12 has reached out to NYCHA for a statement regarding this outage and received the following response:
"Last night, a manhole fire caused an electrical service interruption that is currently impacting Morris I & II in the Bronx. Con Edison is currently on-site, working to restore services as soon as possible.
Stair climbers are available upon request and NYCHA staff are on-site to assist residents. Additionally, a water station is located on Washington Avenue between buildings 4 and 5, and two MTA buses are available for cooling on Washington Avenue, between East 170th and East 169th Streets.
Due to the disruption, the management office is closed, so we ask that residents please call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 for assistance.” NYCHA also stated that power is expected to be restored later tonight.


More from News 12