East Harlem tenants say they’ve gone a month without hot water

NEW YORK - Tenants in East Harlem have been living without hot water for more than a month, and frustration is boiling over.

Since the story aired on Tuesday, residents have confirmed to FOX 5 NY’s Arthur Chi’en that hot water service has been restored in the building.

Read the story below. 

What they're saying:

While water pressure isn’t an issue, residents at 160 East 103rd Street say the temperature is. Whether in their bathrooms or in their kitchens, residents tell FOX 5 NY's Arthur Chi'en they're at their wits end. Some even shouted from their windows to voice their concerns. 

"My legs are swollen and everything, and I’ve been cutting and everything, it’s too much," one resident screamed from their window. 

What we know:

The five-story, 60-unit property is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) building, part of a federal program meant to provide affordable housing to elderly, disabled, and eligible low-income families. 

Monica, who lives in the building with her children, one of whom serves in the U.S. military, said paying rent while living without hot water feels unfair.

"It’s like, are you kidding me? We’re begging you for water? For hot water? What are you going to do? And no one’s saying anything," Monica says.  

"It sucks. Again, I’m a shop steward for Local 79, and to come home from a strenuous physical day, I would like to come home and take a shower. You know, from construction work. And it sucks that I come home and my whole attitude changes because there’s no hot water," she says. 

Dig deeper:

Residents tell FOX 5 NY this isn’t the only problem in the building. 

They point to a trash compactor they say is "always backed up" and note the property is repeatedly fined by the city.

The other side:

A spokesperson for CSC Management, the company overseeing the property, tell FOX 5 NY that residents are encouraged to reach out with concerns and that staff has been "working diligently to resolve a water heater issue" with a permanent solution "in the works." 

However, no timeline was given.

Tenants say daily life has become nearly impossible without hot water.

"It affects me in many ways, because how do we take a shower or a bath or wash my hair without hot water?," one resident explained.

What's next:

HUD says it is reviewing the situation. 

Meanwhile, someone who identified himself as the building’s superintendent told FOX 5 NY's Arthur Chi'en, a hole in the pump was replaced. 

At the time, only one tenant said their hot water had returned, but two others said it did not and that the elevator was also broken.

Since the story aired on Tuesday, residents have confirmed to FOX 5 NY’s Arthur Chi’en that all hot water service has been restored in the building.