New York- After weeks of being without heat, some residents in a Harlem apartment building are spending Christmas crowded around stoves and electric heaters.
Residents at 437 Manhattan Avenue approached CBS News New York for assistance. They stated they’re spending Christmas in the cold and have been without heat for approximately a month.
They claim that boiler problems have existed for decades.
CBS News New York went on-site Christmas Eve and was told by building management that repairs to the malfunctioning boiler that was causing the problem down in the basement would be completed on Christmas Day, giving heat to tenants. However, by Christmas, people were still without heat.
“The oven is still on because I’m getting ready to bake some more pies. “I never cut it off,” resident Louis Simmons said. “Heaters, stove burning, and water heating. “Yes, that is how we stay warm.”
Simmons and other inhabitants must find ways to warm up when the temperature drops.
How am I going to keep warm?
Simmons was still wearing jackets and using the oven to remain warm, although knowing she shouldn’t be.
“But how will I keep warm?” “I’m sleeping with my clothes on,” Simmons explained.
“They claim we’re correcting it, and we are. “They are always fixing something, but never the heating,” Jhovani Mercado explained.
Mercado lives on the seventh floor and faces the same issue.
“It has been a long time waiting. “A long time,” Mercado remarked. “I’ve got a lot of troubles in my life… It is sad.”
CBS News New York’s Allen Devlin knocked on the door of the live-in superintendent, as described by residents, but no one responded.
Devlin also called the person residents identified as building management and left a voicemail. The addressee read the text message but did not respond.
The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development verified to CBS News New York that they have performed repeated on-site investigations and discovered heating code breaches as recent as December.
They also stated that if repairs are not completed soon, their emergency repair program will take over.
Archer Bannister is a journalist with 4 years of experience covering hard-hitting stories. Currently working with Mikeandjonpodcast, Archer specializes in delivering timely and in-depth updates on a variety of topics, including crime news, politics, and national issues affecting the USA. His expertise and dedication to delivering accurate, impactful news make him a trusted voice for audiences seeking to stay informed on critical topics.
