NYCHA residents left without heat and hot water in bitterly cold weather

Residents at the Polo Grounds Towers in Harlem have been without heat and hot water for days, even as sub-zero temperatures freeze the tri-state.

NYCHA confirmed to FOX 5 NY that approximately 3,000 people are affected, with temperatures in some apartments dropping below 50 degrees. City law requires landlords to maintain apartment temperatures at a minimum of 62 degrees.

Residents take dangerous measures to stay warm

What they're saying:

FOX 5 NY spoke with residents of the Polo Grounds Towers, who said that they were taking desperate, dangerous measures to stay warm inside their apartments.

"I put my oven on," said one woman. "I put a pot of water in the oven and I burn it… That's all you can do because you can't lay there and go to sleep. It's cold."

The FDNY says that you should never use the kitchen oven or gas range to heat your home or apartment, as it is a fire risk and could lead to an accumulation of dangerous levels for carbon monoxide, which can lead to serious illness, or even death.

"That's crazy," another resident, who also admitted to using his stove for heating said. "There are a lot of people in here, old folks and all. They need to get some [hot] water in here."

Earlier this month, a fire inside a Bronx apartment building displaced hundreds of people, with residents of that building having complained of ongoing issues with heating as well, leading some to use space heaters or their ovens to stay warm. 

Related

Bronx fire displaces hundreds, leaves lingering questions over building conditions

Investigators are continuing to look into the cause of an apartment building fire in the Bronx that left over 250 people homeless, as some residents say desperation due to poor heating conditions in the building may have led to the fire.

NYCHA responds

What's next:

NYCHA acknowledged the situation in a statement, saying they have "increased heat staffing in preparation for colder temperatures this week" and are actively working to address all service interruptions. 

The agency added that heat and hot water have been restored to thousands of other apartments in the last 24 hours.

The Source: This article uses reporting from crews on the ground and information collected from previous FOX 5 NY articles.

 

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