NYCHA vows to fix heating troubles

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The New York City Housing Authority has promised residents of two of its housing complexes in the northwest Bronx that their apartments would not go without heat or hot water this winter, as they did in years past.

The pledge came at a Nov. 3 meeting of Community Board 8’s housing committee, where residents of the Marble Hill and the Fort Independence houses—NYCHA’s two complexes within CB8—gathered to discuss major heating issues some of the buildings saw last year and ways to prevent them from recurring during the cold months of 2017. 

“We just want people to be comfortable in their own apartments,” Nate Parris, the regional property manager for NYCHA, said. “We don’t want you to go another 10 days, or even 10 minutes without heat and hot water, so we have to deliver and provide you with services – that’s the law.”

According to Mr. Parris and an assembled group of NYCHA representatives, including those from the heating department, recent personnel changes within the housing authority, both on Mr. Parris’ team and in the heating department, should make for a productive team of respondents to community complaints. 

“We don’t want to repeat what happened last year, because I was at a couple of meetings last year and there were some heated moments,” he said. “What has changed is the team that we have, we a have a staff that is committed, a staff that can follow up and address the issues. I have been working with the staff, as well as the heating folks to make sure that we have heat and hot water for the residents.”

Some residents questioned whether change was possible, in a system plagued by too many complaints and not enough fixes.  One woman, who identified herself only as Mrs. Beech, said she has not had consistent heat or hot water during the winter for more than 12 years. 

“I have the ongoing problem of not ever having heat during the winter.  It has been since 2004, I keep a journal, a housing journal, on anything that involves housing,” she said.  

Mrs. Beech added she still has not had any heat at all this year. 

“I pay my rent on time and I expect service,” she said.

In another case, Marble Hill Houses resident Rosa Williams said she had too much heat in her first-floor apartment. 

“You can’t even step in my bedroom with no shoes on, your feet will burn up,” she told the meeting. “I have been complaining and complaining and they say ‘there’s nothing we can do because your apartment is on the first floor, and the heat has to travel through your house.”

Yet, Javier Almodovar, a deputy director of the heating department at NYCHA who said he has worked in the department for just under a year, said he found Ms. Williams’ complaints concerning.

“Usually, when the first floor gets hot, it tends to be caused by a steam issue, like the steam is coming up out of the basement,” he said. “So that kind of concerns me when someone comes to your house and tells you there is nothing they can do.”

Mr. Almodovar pleged to keep coming back to both Fort Independence and Marble Hill houses to inspect incoming complaints and try to deal with the range of issues residents brought up at the meeting. Mr. Parris added his own pledge to help residents. 

“Not getting heat is a problem, but getting too much heat is also a problem,” Mr. Parris said. “As soon as you make your complaint, we have a strong interest in making sure you get your services.”

Fort Independence Houses, Marble Hill Houses, NYCHA, Heat and hot water, Anthony Capote